Huge vacancies in teaching posts in Odisha varsities, colleges: Minister informs Assembly

Bhubaneswar: As many as 1,094 teaching posts are lying vacant in public universities under the Higher Education department in Odisha.

This was revealed by Higher Education Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak in the Odisha Assembly today.

The Higher Education Minister made this revelation while replying to an unstarred question of Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

In his question, the Khandapada MLA sought to know details regarding the vacant posts of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in the public universities, government colleges and non-government aided colleges in Odisha. He also sought to know about the timeline for recruitment to these sanctioned posts.

Altogether 1,094 teaching posts are lying vacant in public universities in Odisha. The number is 385 in government colleges and 1,065 in aided colleges in the state, said the Higher Education Minister in his reply.

“The Higher Education department is taking steps to fill the vacant teaching posts in public universities and government colleges in the state through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC). The vacant teaching posts in non-government aided colleges will be filled through the State Selection Board,” said the Minister.

Speaking to media persons outside the Assembly, the Minister, however, revealed that the process for requirement to the vacant posts in the public universities in Odisha was stalled due to a case in the Supreme Court. “The state government is taking steps for removal of the legal impediments in the recruitment process. As an interim measure, public universities have been allowed to recruit guest faculties,” said the Minister.

The state government has recruited around 700 lecturers for government and aided colleges in the state recently.

“The government has issued advertisement for the recruitment of 1,065 lecturers in colleges a few days ago,” he added.

Notably, as many as 18 public universities are coming under the administrative control of the Higher Education department in the state.