Bhubaneswar: Academics, including former vice-chancellors, have opposed the amendments to Odisha Universities Act, 1989, as it allegedly curtails the autonomy of universities. They expect the new govt will correct these mistakes and maintain the autonomy of higher educational institutions.
They said the amended Act has three major problems, including appointment of vice-chancellors (VC) and faculty members for the universities.Former VC of Utkal University, Gokulananda Das, said the Act allows the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to recruit university teachers centrally. “Earlier, universities were recruiting teachers by following University Grants Commission (UGC) rules. This is an unwanted interference in university matters,” he added.

He said the state govt will nominate a member for the three-member search committee for appointment of a VC in place of a nominee of the syndicate of the university concerned. “It implies that the university cannot have a say over VC appointments. UGC guidelines should be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added.
A VC of a university, requesting anonymity, said the higher education department interferes in the business of state universities without following UGC rules. “When OPSC was appointing faculty members for universities, the department was telling us to issue appointment letters to selected candidates. The VC was not a part of the recruitment process, but he/she was asked to issue appointment letters,” he added.
Former VC of Berhampur University, Jayanta Kumar Mohapatra, said the universities do not have complete autonomy due to the lack of financial freedom. “Now, the autonomy of universities has been further restricted due to the amended Act,” he said.

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