Merger of Plus II with schools: Modalities to be decided in June first week

Bhubaneswar: A meeting will be convened jointly by Higher Education and Mass Education departments in June first week to chalk out the modalities on separation Plus II colleges from the Higher Education department.

A separate directorate, to be called the Higher Secondary Education Directorate, will be formed under the Mass Education department to look after junior colleges, sources said.

Debi Prasad Mishra, School and Mass Education minister, said, “The office of the directorate will be located at the State Resource Centre of the Mass Education department. Besides, the General Administration department will make changed in the rules and notify them. The directorate will start functioning from July.”

The minister added that 48 staff will be appointed at the directorate and 1,027 post graduate teachers will be recruited for the junior colleges.

Notably, the Higher Education department had on Monday notified that Plus II colleges, syllabus, the conduct of examinations and administrative matters will come under the purview of the School and Mass Education department.

A total of 1,455 Plus II colleges will be brought under the Mass Education department following the notification.

The state government will now receive additional Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan (RMSA) grants for curriculum and infrastructure development because of this move.