Central University of Odisha

Overview

The Central University of Odisha (CUO) was established in the Koraput region of the state to widen access to education to historically underdeveloped regions. The University has several MoUs with prominent national institutions, including FIDR (for a Tribal Digital Literacy Center) and CSIR (Institute of Minerals and Metals). Academic and research activities at the University are organized into 9 Schools, with the School of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources being a unique academic entity. These Schools have 18 Departments within them.

The permanent campus of CUO is expected to come up on a 450 acre plot near the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited site in Sunabeda. This is a partly rural region, and will therefore have extensive green spaces. Even though the temporary campus of the University does not have large sports grounds, students of CUO have still excelled in high level sports competitions. For example, a student of the University recently achieved a gold and silver medal at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championship, a respected international competition. The University also organizes frequent talks and seminars on topics of interest including entrepreneurship, the Indian Knowledge System, the role of Magazines of Odisha for social prosperity, and Sanskrit Grammar.

The Central University of Odisha is also home to the Dr. Ambedkar Center of Excellence (DACE). Established in 2022, DACE offers free UPSC coaching to SC and ST students, and conducts various other social welfare educational initiatives to improve the access to education to students from all communities.

Highlights

Fees

The academic fees for students of the Central University of Odisha have multiple components e.g. tuition fees, examination charges, registration fees, and caution deposits. The fee structure for different courses is as follows:

• One time fees (payable during the admission process):
  • Development Fee: This varies from program to program, but is usually only levied from students of professional courses. For example, BEd candidates pay INR 11,000, MSc in Computer Science and BSc in Forestry students pay INR 5,000, and applicants to other Professional courses pay INR 30,000.
  • Student Corpus Fund: INR 1,000.
  • Caution Deposit (Laboratory): INR 1,200. This one time fee is refundable at the end of the course only if no harm is caused to University property.
  • Library Security Deposit: INR 600 (refundable).
  • Admission Fee: INR 600.
  • Identity Card Fee: INR 60.
  • Laboratory Fee (only for MSc programs): INR 1,200.
  • Magazine Fee: INR 60.
• Semester fees:
  • Tuition Fee: Varies according to the program:
    • MA: INR 450 per semester.
    • MSc: INR 500 per semester.
    • MSc in CS and BSc in Forestry: INR 1,200 per semester.
    • BEd: INR 5,200 per semester.
    • Other professional courses (e.g. MBA): INR 6,200.
  • Registration Fee: INR 230 per semester.
  • Library Fee: INR 350 per semester.
  • Sports Fee: INR 200 per semester.
  • Medical Fee: INR 50 per semester.
  • Examination Fee: INR 750 per semester.
  • Other Fees (Grade Sheet, Students’ Welfare Fund, Transport, Internet, and Group Insurance): INR 1,570 per semester.
• Additional Fees for Foreign Students:
  • Extra tuition fees: Between USD 50 and USD 200 per semester (with the lowest amount reserved for students from SAARC countries).
  • Extra examination fees: Between USD 30 and USD 100 per semester.

The living costs for all students of CUO have six components:

• One time fees (paid at the time of entry to the hostel):
  • Hostel Development Fee: INR 1,000.
  • Hostel Caution Deposit: INR 1,000 (one time; refundable).
• Recurring fees:
  • Hostel rent: INR 2,000 per semester.
  • Water and electricity charges: INR 600 per semester.
  • Crockery fees: INR 200 per semester.
  • Mess charges: Based on actual spending per month.

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to the Central University of Odisha, are as follows:

• UG programs:
  • Applicants must have a 10+2 pass certificate issued upon completion of the Standard XII examination conducted by any recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education.
  • General category students must have an aggregate percentage of 50% or higher. This is relaxed to 45% for reserved category applicants.
  • Candidates must have a valid CUET UG score achieved in the year of application to CUO.
• PG programs:
  • Applicants must have completed (or be in the final year of) a Bachelor’s degree in a field of study related to that of the Master’s degree in which they are interested. The full list of matching subjects can be found in the CUO PG prospectus.
  • Different programs mandate different cut-offs. The majority require 50% as the aggregate across all semesters of UG study. However, some programs like MBA (Logistics Management) require the applicant to have an aggregate of 60% in his/her UG degree, or equivalent grade point average, and some programs (e.g. MA in Hindi) have a cut-off of 45%. All general category cut-offs are relaxed by 5% for reserved category candidates.
  • Applicants must have a valid CUET PG score.

Students who wish to apply to the Central University of Odisha must follow these steps:

• Creating an applicant account on the Samarth portal of CUO.
• Adding contact details, academic history information, and uploading soft copies of official documents to prove identity and grade data.
• After all applications have been submitted, CUO prepares an initial merit list of all students who satisfy the eligibility criteria for the courses in which they are interested.
• After this, candidates must lock their preferred courses and appear for the CUET UG or PG examination.
• The final merit list is prepared based on the performance in the relevant subjects of the CUET examination.
• Additional phases are organized if certain students fail to accept their offer by paying the first installment of the academic fee.

Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of the Central University of Odisha are as follows: 

• There is an approximate downward trend in placement statistics across different courses offered by CU Odisha, primarily due to COVID-19 impact:
  • UG 3 year programs: INR 1.8 LPA during the most recent placement season for which data is available (down 50% from the peak of INR 3.6 LPA).
  • PG 2 year programs: INR 1.5 LPA (down more than 50% from INR 3.04 LPA two years previously).
  • Integrated UG+PG 5 year programs: INR 1.5 LPA. The latest figures available are from the pandemic period, which explains the drop in average CTC.
• The ratio of students receiving at least one job offer during the final placement season to the total number of graduating students varies by program type:
  • UG 3 year programs: 3 successfully placed out of 23 final year students registered for placements (13%).
  • PG 2 year programs: 59 out of 274 (22%).
  • Integrated UG+PG programs: 2 out of 12 (16%).

Cut-Offs

The Central University of Odisha does not release CUET UG or CUET PG cut-offs before the seat allocation procedure begins every year. The cut-off is only computed at the end of the counseling process, after each seat is allotted to an interested candidate through multiple rounds of matching. However, there are cut-offs based on the percentage in the qualifying examination. Most Bachelor’s degree aspirants will need 50% in their Standard XII Board Examination. Similarly, most Master’s degree applicants need a UG aggregate of 50%, but some programs (e.g. MBA) require at least 60% across all UG semesters, and some MA programs (e.g. Hindi) have a UG aggregate cut-off of 45%. All qualifying examination cut-offs are relaxed by 5% for SC, ST, and PwD category applicants.

Faculty & Alumni

The Central University of Odisha is home to 84 Faculty members. Of these, 16 (19%) are Assistant Professors, 1 is a full Professor, and 27 (32%) are full Professors. 22 out of 84 are Visiting Faculty members. Most Faculty members (63 out of 84, or 75%) hold PhD degrees, with the others holding postgraduate degrees (e.g. MBA or MEd) in their fields of specialization. The relatively small number of full time Faculty members nevertheless ensures a strong Faculty to Student ratio.

In the 1.5 decades since the Central University of Odisha was established, it has set up a strong framework for alumni, industry, and institute interactions. The first level is a dedicated Assistant Professor appointed as the Nodal Officer for the Alumni Cell. In addition, a social media page on Facebook allows alumni of different Departments and batches to connect with each other for professional purposes. The Alumni Cell also works to organize regular events within different cities in Odisha and the rest of India, in virtual and in-person formats. Finally, the Cell showcases the achievements of distinguished alumni and approaches them during fundraising for infrastructural development activities at CUO.

Scholarships

The Central University of Odisha ensures that its students have access to financial aid whenever required; most of these scholarship schemes are based on social or financial disadvantages. As of 2024, a total of 379 out of 768 students from socially disadvantaged categories (49%) receive full tuition fee waivers from the Central and State Governments. There are currently no full scholarships offered by other sources (private or public sector).

1. Odisha Government State Scholarship Scheme: There are 16 scholarships offered by the Odisha Government to deserving students in different categories. These are offered to UG and PG students in technical, professional, and general courses. For example, the Gopabandhu Sikhya Sahayata Yojana is open to students from all categories whose family income does not exceed INR 2.5 LPA. The scholarship amount is INR 20,000 per year, and students can receive other scholarships while applying for these financial aid schemes.

2. PG Merit Scholarships: These scholarships are also awarded by the Government of Odisha. The family income of the applicant should not exceed INR 8 LPA, and only students with at least 55% in the latest examination are allowed to apply. These are intended for MA, MCom, and MSc students from all categories, and the scholarship amount is INR 15,000 per year. Up to 5,000 students across the state can be awarded this funding aid, which is also known as the e-Medhabruti PG Merit Scholarship.

3. Scholarships Offered by the Government of India (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment): These are Post Matric Scholarships for SC, ST, and OBC students, and are based on the total family income. Eligible students receive a full tuition fee waiver in addition to a living stipend to assist with hostel and mess costs.

4. Exchange Program and Semester Abroad Scholarships: CUO is a member of a global network of Universities which allow students at all levels, from UG to PhD, to spend a semester or more in a top higher education institution abroad. This program is known as the European Union for Promotion of Health through Research, Applied Technology, Education and Science (EUPHRATES) scheme, and it covers living costs (up to EUR 2,500 per month), travel costs to and from Europe, and medical insurance. 12 European Universities have signed MoUs with 11 participating Indian Universities, including CUO. This is a part of the prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarship project.

5. National Fellowship for Higher Education of ST students: The Ministry of Tribal Justice financially supports ST PhD students.

6. Laptop Direct Benefit Transfer Scholarships: These are open to UG and PG students, and are intended to be a one-time funding aid for students who wish to buy laptops to aid their studies, particularly in technical fields. The scholarship amount is INR 30,000, and 15,000 students can be awarded this honor across the state. It is open to students from all categories, and is also known as the Godabarisha Vidyarthi Protsahana Yojana.

Preparation & FAQs

Students who wish to apply to CUO for PG programs must familiarize themselves with the CUET PG Test pattern, and UG applicants must go through the CUO UG entrance test pattern in detail. If the exam pattern diverges from their earlier course of study, students can consider purchasing a CUET sample test series to ensure that they gain sufficient practice before the exam date.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

The Central University of Odisha is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #38 among the best Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to the Central University of Odisha?

The application fees to the Central University of Odisha vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). For example, the application fee for general category PG students is INR 1,000.

Q. If two candidates score equal marks in CUET UG or CUET PG, how are ties resolved while creating CUO merit lists?

There are four levels of tiebreakers implemented if two candidates score equal CUET UG or CUET PG marks:

• The student who has a better performance in the qualifying examination (Standard 12 Board Examination or UG aggregate, respectively), will be given the higher rank.
• For PG courses, the candidate with a higher percentage in the Standard XII Board Examination (if the UG aggregate and CUET PG scores are tied) will be given preference.
• The older student will be allotted the seat, if the tie is still not broken.
• Finally, the applicant who is a girl or from the Third Gender will be preferred, if all other criteria are identical.

Q. What are the expected dates of CUET PG 2025?

CUET PG 2025 is expected to be held over several dates in March 2025, as a computer based test. These scores will be used as the basis for admission to the Central University of Odisha.

Q. What are the expected dates of the Central University of Odisha recruitment in 2025?

The Central University of Odisha maintains a page on its website dedicated to new job openings at all levels. The website also has details of application deadlines and methods (online or offline).