Berhampur University was established on 2 January 1967 as an affiliating University by the Odisha Act 21 of 1966. Lingaraj Law College is the only constituent college of the university.[2]
Campus
The present campus is known as Bhanja Vihar, named after one of the celebrated poets of Odisha, Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja. The campus spreads over an area of about 250 acres (1.0 km2) and is about 12 kilometres from the city of Brahmapur and about six kilometres from Gopalpur beach.
Academics
The University is currently functioning with 24 departments in the streams of Science, Humanities and Business Studies at the Post Graduate level and carry out Ph.D. & D.Litt. programmes. Besides, it offers self financing PG courses in Finance, Pharmacy & Women’s studies. The University also offers B.Ed. course on self-financing mode.[3] The university offers 28 undergraduate and postgraduate courses through its constituent colleges as well as in distance education mode through its Harihar Mardaraj Distance Education Centre.[4]
In October 2021, the Khallikote University merged[5] with Berhampur University and the syndicate of the university created four new P.G. departments in Biotechnology, Library & Information Science, Tourism & Travel Studies and Environment Studies.
Earlier the university had the territorial jurisdiction over Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts with over 180 affiliated colleges. As per the recent decision of the Government of Odisha, the territorial jurisdiction of Berhampur University has been redefined and the colleges located in the districts of Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri have been transferred to Vikram Dev University, Jeypore w.e.f. the Academic Session 2023-24.[7]
Notable alumni
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(September 2017)
Ravindra Prasad Patnaik, Indian music composer, singer, actor, screenwriter and film director, winner of three Filmfare Awards (south) and three Nandi Awards.