BHUBANESWAR: The state govt will soon amend the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The process has already been started for this. Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said this in the state assembly here on Friday.
He said they have conducted a meeting with the officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi recently. “We had discussed with the UGC about the Act.Later, we have prepared a draft proposal which will not hamper the UGC regulations and appointment of teachers for state public universities,” he added.
Suraj said they had also organised a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the amendment of the Act. “We had discussed the much-needed steps to start the university teacher recruitment process. I assure the house that this process will happen in the state very soon,” he added.
The previous govt had brought the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 by amending the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. It repealed the Senate system. The Syndicate was reorganised for better functioning.
As per the UGC regulations, the academic staff in universities are picked by a duly constituted selection committee of the university concerned. But the amended Act gave such recruitment power to the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
The UGC regulations say the members of the search-cum-selection committee for vice-chancellors shall be persons of eminence in the sphere of higher education and shall not be connected in any manner with the university concerned. But the amended Act allowed a superannuated officer of the state govt. “This clearly shows that the govt wants to intervene in the affairs of the universities. It affects the autonomy of the universities,” said Siba Prasad Adhikary, a former vice-chancellor of FM University Balasore.
This amendment in 2020 had created a hue and cry in the state. Academicians had filed petitions against the amended Act before the Orissa High Court.
The high court had upheld the validity of the amended Act. The UGC and an academician had challenged the amended Act in the Supreme Court, particularly in the matter of the selection of vice-chancellors and faculty members. The apex court had issued a stay order on May 20, 2022, in this case. Recruitment could not be done after the issue of this stay order.
More than 1,000 regular teaching posts are lying vacant in the state public universities under the jurisdiction of the higher education department. The institutions are facing difficulties in carrying out teaching, research, and other academic work due to large-scale vacancies. Over 57 percent of the teaching posts of the sanctioned strength are lying vacant in these state public universities, including four universities in the twin cities.
He said they have conducted a meeting with the officials of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi recently. “We had discussed with the UGC about the Act.Later, we have prepared a draft proposal which will not hamper the UGC regulations and appointment of teachers for state public universities,” he added.
Suraj said they had also organised a meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi about the amendment of the Act. “We had discussed the much-needed steps to start the university teacher recruitment process. I assure the house that this process will happen in the state very soon,” he added.
The previous govt had brought the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 by amending the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. It repealed the Senate system. The Syndicate was reorganised for better functioning.
As per the UGC regulations, the academic staff in universities are picked by a duly constituted selection committee of the university concerned. But the amended Act gave such recruitment power to the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
The UGC regulations say the members of the search-cum-selection committee for vice-chancellors shall be persons of eminence in the sphere of higher education and shall not be connected in any manner with the university concerned. But the amended Act allowed a superannuated officer of the state govt. “This clearly shows that the govt wants to intervene in the affairs of the universities. It affects the autonomy of the universities,” said Siba Prasad Adhikary, a former vice-chancellor of FM University Balasore.
This amendment in 2020 had created a hue and cry in the state. Academicians had filed petitions against the amended Act before the Orissa High Court.
The high court had upheld the validity of the amended Act. The UGC and an academician had challenged the amended Act in the Supreme Court, particularly in the matter of the selection of vice-chancellors and faculty members. The apex court had issued a stay order on May 20, 2022, in this case. Recruitment could not be done after the issue of this stay order.
More than 1,000 regular teaching posts are lying vacant in the state public universities under the jurisdiction of the higher education department. The institutions are facing difficulties in carrying out teaching, research, and other academic work due to large-scale vacancies. Over 57 percent of the teaching posts of the sanctioned strength are lying vacant in these state public universities, including four universities in the twin cities.
