Berhampur University's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Berhampur University functions within a sprawling 250 acres of land. It is a co-ed university offering 590 courses to 2387 students through 126 faculty members. Inaugurated by the then Governor of Orissa, the university laid its foundation stone in 1967. Nestled in Banja Bihar, Odisha, the university’s infrastructural facilities include smart classrooms, a computer centre, laboratories, an auditorium, and a conference hall among numerous others.

Accredited by NAAC with a B grade, Berhampur University courses are offered in disciplines such as science, humanities, commerce, law and many more. The university that was once the most prestigious university in Odisha has lost its shine in recent years. Student’s opinion and CollegeDekho’s analysis stand as a testament to the statement. The allegations on faculty members, low placement stats and mismanagement of the administration section are a few such mishaps. Find out more about the same below!

Berhampur University Ranking

NIRF Ranking: No Rank!

Berhampur University has not earned a place in any of the 13 categories in the NIRF Ranking 2023.

Our Take:

The university needs a lot of upgradation regarding its faculty, placement opportunities, and quality of teaching among numerous others to get itself noticed when getting evaluated across parameters of NIRF Ranking.

Berhampur University Academia and Batch Size

Berhampur University has adopted the Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) where postgraduate students have the opportunity to select one credit course from other PG departments, allowing them to explore interdisciplinary subjects. That university has a National Academic Depository (NAD) that stores students' academic information and awards.

Academic Composition

Berhampur University academia is a mix of classroom learning, quizzes, class tests, project writing, and group discussion. Students are exposed to theoratical and practical knowledge to make sure they are prepared for the professional world. 

Batch Size

As per NIRF Report 2023, the following data was retrieved:

Our Take:

For UG 3-year, the approved intake is only 41.5% of the actual intake. For PG 2-year, it was 59.57%. Even though there is evidence that a large percentage of students were granted Berhampur University admission over the approved intake, students have not pointed out any dissatisfaction regarding the same.

Berhampur University Fees

Our Take:

According to the feedback received from students, the fees are reasonable. However, due to the deteriorating quality of teaching students, despite the low fees, students have questioned their decision to join the university.

Berhampur University Infrastructure

Classrooms

Out of 92 classrooms and seminar halls, the university claims to have 72 smart classrooms in the postgraduate departments. Each department has one smart classroom equipped with an interactive smart board, desktop/laptop and LCD projector.

Laboratories

The university has a well-equipped laboratories for the PG departments. For researchers, the university has a Central Instrumentation Facility with high-end equipment.

Auditorium/Theatre Halls

For conducting extracurricular activities, conferences and seminars, the university has an open theater and multi-purpose conference hall with a seating capacity of 300. The Biju Patnaik auditorium is fully air conditioned with 750 seating capacity. The auditorium is equipped with ICT facilities, a stage system with light and sound and a power backup system. 

Internet

As per the AQAR Report 2021-22, the university has a high-speed internet connection of 1 Gbps via BSNL, safeguarded by Windows firewall settings. Furthermore, each hostel and CIC enjoy connectivity through 512 Mbps RAILTEL lines. 

Library

Berhampur University Library, functioning under the banner R. P. Padhi Library was established in 1968 with a one-time seating capacity of 280 students. The university also boasts about its  “Talking Library” dedicated to the visually impaired. The library has more than 1.5 lakhs books, 2937 PhD thesis, 593 census reports, subscriptions to 20 newspapers and 18 magazines etc. 

Sports

Berhampur University offers a stadium, with a seating capacity of approximately 2,000, which features facilities for cricket, football, and basketball, among other sports. Along with it. The university also have an indoor sports complex, and a multi gym hall. Within the indoor sports complex, students can play badminton, table tennis, carom, and chess. 

Hostels

The university claims to provide separate accommodations with nine girls' hostels and eight boys’ hostels. Each hostel is said to be equipped with internet connectivity, common areas, a gym, and a canteen. As per the data available online, Berhampur University hostel fees is Rs 6,900 per annum. 

Other Facilities

• Computer Centre
• CCTV Surveillance
• 24x7 Electricity 
• Health and Wellness Centre
• Canteen (Bhanja Ahar)
• Sub Post Office, ATM
• Primary Health Centre 

Our Take:

The university needs to increase the number of smart classrooms at the campus. Furthermore, students have expressed dissatisfaction regarding the hostel facilities available. They have stated that cleanliness is often compromised. The restroom hygiene is not maintained properly. Adding to it, the mess food needs a quality check as well.

Berhampur University Internships and Placements

Internships 

As per the AQAR report of Berhampur University for 2021-22, internships are provided to students. The report mentioned that a total of 753 students undertook field projects/research projects/internships in 2022. Students have voiced that the majority of such students are engaged in research projects.

Placements

A total of 152 students received placement offers out of 876 students in 2021. The data of Berhampur University placement for  the 2022 as mentioned in the NIRF Report is as follows:

Our Take:

As per the data available, for UG 3 year students, the placement rate is recorded at 100%, however, the median salary offered is much less. With only 50.2 % placement for PG 2-year students, there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of placements. The unavailability of good recruiters during campus placements is another concern highlighted by the students.

Berhampur University Diversity and Demographic Representation

With a total of 2387 students, Berhampur University claims to have students from across India and boasts about its initiative to promote gender equality. As per the website, the university conducted seminars, workshops and awareness camps in 2022 aimed at raising awareness about the significance of gender equality among various stakeholders, including teachers, staff, and students, both within the workplace and in broader society. 

Berhampur University is strictly against ragging and has a separate cell that is responsible for taking action against such incidents. However, we are compelled to question the effectiveness of the anti-ragging cell. Students have commented that ragging is common and the perpetrators are never punished or even questioned.

Here is the statistical overview of the gender ratio and diversity of Berhampur University students as per NIRF Report 2023:

Berhampur University Gender Ratio Index

Our Take:

With 32.9% female in UG 3 year and only 3.5% in PG 1 year programme, the gender ratio is unacceptable. It is evident that even though the university has adopted the necessary measures to promote gender equality, it has not yielded any positive results.

Berhampur University Diversity Representation

Our Take:

For UG 3 year and PG 2 year courses, the percentage of students outside Odisha is terribly less at only 7.79% and 4.69% respectively. The university’s ineffectiveness in declaring results on time, the delay in releasing the results and the growing allegations against the faculty members have contributed to the cause.

Berhampur University Faculty and Administration/Management

In the Annual Quality Assurance Report 2022, the university mentions that there are a total of 126 full-time faculty members. With 2387 students, the faculty-to-student ratio currently stands at just about acceptable level of 1:18. The university boasts about its Mentor-Mentee meetings conducted by the faculty members to discuss academic or other problems. The faculty members use English and Odia as the medium of communication.

Nevertheless, there were some shocking revelations when asked to students about the faculty members. They voiced the rude and improper behavior of the faculty members that have impacted the quality of teaching. Many news also surfaced online regarding the same. Here is a snippet:

Source: OdishaTV

Apart from the incident, the news mentions that the university authority received an anonymous letter against a professor from the history department who allegedly compelled female students to remain in the library until late at night. Similarly, an audio clip went viral in which an English professor is heard requesting sexual favors from a female student in exchange for helping her obtain a PhD. 

Our Take:

Three incidents reflecting the indecent behaviour of faculty came into the limelight in a single year. It is apparent that the university is not capable of providing the required safety to the female students. Furthermore, it shows a lack of control of the university's authority over its professors. Many students have narrated that the history faculty is still seen visiting the campus and taking classes as usual. Whether there are more such shameful acts that are yet to be known, the university surely needs to adopt stringent measures. Until then, it's understandable if prospective students opt not to enroll at Berhampur University.

Administration-wise, the university is not competent enough. As per the students' comments, the exam papers were not evaluated properly not to mention the prolonged duration in releasing the exam results. As per the AQAR Report 2021-22, the average time taken to release the results was stated as 52 days, which is a long time. As per the news, a government institute committee ordered the university to

• Release the results within 45 days of the last exam.
• Publish the PG 1st semester within 30 days.

Source: Odisha TV

The allegations don't end here. Students also expressed that cheating during exams is common.

The management inefficiency was highlighted when a student voiced that the university staff had to sift through a stack of 300 certificates to give him his original certificate that was submitted at the time of admission. A 2016 graduate from Berhampur University further added that he could not receive his pass certificate as the management forgot to print one. Even after reapplying twice for the certificate, he failed to receive any assurance from the university.

Such incidents clearly signify the university’s ineptitude in appointing proper staff leading to such outlandish discrepancies. Such lacunae have forced students to repent of their decision to enrol in the university and forthcoming students to reconsider their choice.

Berhampur University Location

Berhampur University is located at 8V2M+M6C, Brahmapur, Korapalli, Odisha 760007. Also, commonly referred to as Bhanja Bihar, the nearest town Behrampur is 12 km from the university campus. The nearest airport to the university is Rangeilunda Airport, it is located 1.4 km away from the campus. 

Our Take:

As per the students' verdict, the environment in and out of the campus is pleasant. However, owing to the presence of the Gopalpur Sea beach, a tourist attraction, the roads tend to get crowded during the tourist season.

Berhampur University Expectation vs Reality - CollegeDekho Verdict

As a takeaway, we can conclude that Berhampur University has done a commendable job in terms of infrastructural development. However, the hostels need maintenance. There are other factors that need strict attention as pointed out by the students:

• University academia is good. Whereas, from the distance education perspective the university has failed in performing the needful. The reason as stated by the students is that until 2018, Berhampur University operated a Distance Education Centre (DEC) offering admission in fields such as social science, commerce, science, management, and law. The introduction of new regulations by the Distance Education Bureau (DEB) of the UGC led to the discontinuation of the distance education programme. This decision was primarily influenced by the university's NAAC grade falling below 3.25.
• Admission-related discrepancies prevail as well. Students recounted that they were initially admitted to the B.Pharm programme by the university, but later, the management announced that the courses would no longer be offered. Consequently, they had to endure a one-year setback due to these inconsistencies.
• The faculty allegations are not only unconstitutional but also raise a question about girl’s safety.

Overall, from being an A+ accredited university in 2021 to receiving a B grade with only 2.43 from NAAC, the university needs to work on a lot to claim as a student-favourite university!

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