Khallikote Unitary University

Khallikote Unitary University, formerly Khallikote Autonomous College, is a co-educational state university in Brahmapur, Odisha, on India's eastern coast. It began as a Government Zilla School in 1856, was upgraded to Union College in 1878, and later renamed Native College. Facing financial crisis in 1893, the District Magistrate of Ganjam secured a donation from Raja Harihar Mardaraj Deo of Khallikote, leading to its renaming as Khallikote College. The college was affiliated with Madras University until 1936, then Patna University, followed by Utkal University in 1944, and Berhampur University in 1967. Postgraduate programs began in 1963. The Odisha government took over management in 1971, and the college gained autonomy in 1990, becoming Khallikote Autonomous College. In 2015, it became the headquarters of the Khallikote Cluster University, Odisha's first cluster university, which later merged with Berhampur University by 2021. On 1 August 2021, the institution was upgraded to Khallikote Unitary University. It now has twenty-two departments and around 5,000 students. Notable alumni include former President V. V. Giri and actress Celina Jaitly.