Odisha Government Approves Engagement of Retired Faculty in Public Universities

Bhubaneswar: In response to the challenge of filling vacant teaching posts through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) due to legal obstacles as per the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, the state government has granted permission for public universities in Odisha to enlist retired faculty members.

The Higher Education department of the state government has authorized universities, including Sambalpur University, Ravenshaw University, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University, Fakir Mohan University, Rama Devi Women’s University, Gangadhar Meher University, Khallikote University, Rajendra University, Kalahandi University, Vikram Dev University, Dharanidhar University, and Odisha State Open University, to engage retired professors, assistant professors, and professors emeritus to conduct classes during this interim period.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education department, Aravind Agarwal, communicated this decision to the Vice-Chancellors of the aforementioned universities through a recent letter.

In light of the persisting legal constraints hindering the recruitment process via OPSC, the shortage of qualified teaching staff in state public universities has been acknowledged by the Higher Education department. This scarcity has adversely impacted academic performances across these institutions.

To address this issue, the Higher Education department has granted temporary approval for public universities in Odisha to bring on board retired faculty members for teaching roles until regular teaching staff is appointed to fill the existing vacant posts, stated a department official.

Universities have been instructed to engage retired faculty members based on their expertise and the specific needs of different academic streams, added the official.