Odisha to Grant Universities Autonomy in Vice-Chancellor Selection after Amendment | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Higher education minister Suryabanshi Suraj said on Saturday that state public universities under the department will be soon provided with autonomy in matters related to the selection of vice-chancellors.
He said the appointment of new vice-chancellors will be done after amending the Odisha University (Amendment) Act 2020. “We are going to amend the Act very soon. After this, universities will get their autonomy back,” he added.
After amendment of the Act, the minister said universities will be a part of the VC selection process under the direction of the governor,who is chancellor of the state public universities. “We did not want to appoint VCs by following the 2020 Act. Because of this reason, we have extended the tenure of VCs of three state public universities recently,” he said, clarifying the recent extension of the tenure of VCs.
He said the extension of their terms is a temporary measure. “They will remain in their posts for six months or until the appointment of new VCs. To run the universities, the extension was necessary. We will soon start the process for the appointment of new VCs,” he added.
In Aug, department officials and the minister held a meeting with the officials of University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi and discussed the 2020 Act. Later, they prepared a draft proposal that will not be flout UGC regulations and the appointment of teachers for state public universities, official sources said.
Suraj recently discussed the amendment of the Act with chief minister Mohan Majhi. The previous govt brought the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 by amending the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. The amendment had created a controversy with academics filing petitions against it before the Orissa high court.
HC upheld the validity of the amended Act. Subsequently, UGC and an academic challenged the amended Act in the Supreme Court, particularly in the selection of VCs and faculty members. The apex court issued a stay order on May 20, 2022, in the case and recruitments were stopped.
More than 1,000 regular teaching posts are lying vacant in state public universities under the higher education department with the institutes facing difficulties in teaching, research and other academic work.
He said the appointment of new vice-chancellors will be done after amending the Odisha University (Amendment) Act 2020. “We are going to amend the Act very soon. After this, universities will get their autonomy back,” he added.
After amendment of the Act, the minister said universities will be a part of the VC selection process under the direction of the governor,who is chancellor of the state public universities. “We did not want to appoint VCs by following the 2020 Act. Because of this reason, we have extended the tenure of VCs of three state public universities recently,” he said, clarifying the recent extension of the tenure of VCs.
He said the extension of their terms is a temporary measure. “They will remain in their posts for six months or until the appointment of new VCs. To run the universities, the extension was necessary. We will soon start the process for the appointment of new VCs,” he added.
In Aug, department officials and the minister held a meeting with the officials of University Grants Commission (UGC) in New Delhi and discussed the 2020 Act. Later, they prepared a draft proposal that will not be flout UGC regulations and the appointment of teachers for state public universities, official sources said.
Suraj recently discussed the amendment of the Act with chief minister Mohan Majhi. The previous govt brought the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 by amending the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. The amendment had created a controversy with academics filing petitions against it before the Orissa high court.
HC upheld the validity of the amended Act. Subsequently, UGC and an academic challenged the amended Act in the Supreme Court, particularly in the selection of VCs and faculty members. The apex court issued a stay order on May 20, 2022, in the case and recruitments were stopped.
More than 1,000 regular teaching posts are lying vacant in state public universities under the higher education department with the institutes facing difficulties in teaching, research and other academic work.
