Over 69,000 teaching posts lying vacant in Odisha schools, varsities

Bhubaneswar: As many as 69,369 teaching posts are lying vacant in various Government schools and colleges across the state. Of the total vacant posts, 68,362 belong to primary, upper primary and secondary schools alone, concerned Ministers told Odisha Assembly during Question Hour today.

Replying to a question raised by MLA Amar Satpathy, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash said 14,125 out of 38,926 sanctioned teaching posts in secondary schools are vacant. In primary and upper primary schools, 54,237 teaching posts are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 1,35,656, he added.

“For primary schools, assistant teachers (Level-V, A) are being appointed while other posts are being filled up through promotion. Besides, contractual teaching staff are being appointed for secondary schools through online examinations,” the Minister stated.

Replying to the BJD MLA’s another query on vacant posts in universities, Higher Education Minister Arun Sahoo said 1,007 teaching and 1660 non-teaching staff are lying vacant in various universities in the state.    

As per the figures shared by the Minister, highest 188 teaching posts are vacant in Ravenshaw University, followed by 126 each in Utkal University and Rajendra University and 112 in Kalahandi University.

Besides, Rama Devi Women’s University has 101 vacant posts in  teaching category followed by Berhampur (80), Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University previously known as North Orissa University (76), Gangadhar Meher University (66), Sambalpur University (61), FM University (42) and Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University (29).

In non-teaching category, Utkal University has highest 679 vacancies, followed by Sambalpur University (377) and Berhampur University (166).