Bhubaneswar: As many as 1,404 faculty positions remain vacant in 17 state-run universities of Odisha, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed the Assembly on Friday.

Out of the total vacancies, 260 are Professor posts, 453 Associate Professors, and 669 Assistant Professors.

Among the universities, Ravenshaw University tops the list with 161 vacancies — including 22 Professors, 54 Associate Professors, and 86 Assistant Professors. Utkal University follows with 136 vacant posts, comprising 38 Professors, 49 Associate Professors, and 49 Assistant Professors.

In addition to teaching staff, 2,286 non-teaching posts are also lying vacant in 17 universities. Utkal University accounts for the highest number with 779 vacancies, followed by Berhampur University with 258 and Ravenshaw University with 199.