The Central University of Orissa was established in 2009 and is one of the 15 new Central Universities established by the Government of India during the UGC XI Plan period. It was established to address the concerns of "equity and access" to quality higher education by people in less educationally developed districts. Various courses are offered through School of Languages, School of Social Sciences, School of Education & Education Technology, School of Basic Sciences and Information Sciences, School of Biodiversity and Conservation of Natural Resources, School of Commerce and Management Studies and School of Applied Sciences.