Bhubaneswar: More than 55% of the sanctioned faculty positions at Utkal University remain unfilled, highlighting a significant staff shortage at the institution.
According to Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, out of the 238 sanctioned faculty positions across various departments, only 105 have been filled, leaving 133 vacancies. The departments of Business Administration and Psychology face the highest shortfall, with 10 vacancies each, he informed in a written response to a query from BJD MLA Prasanta Behera (Salipur) during the Odisha Assembly session on Friday.
The university is also experiencing a severe shortage of non-teaching staff. Of the 502 sanctioned non-teaching positions, only 189 are occupied, while 620 remain vacant.
To address the faculty shortage, the university is recruiting Guest Faculty and retired faculty members in accordance with State government directives. So far, 58 Guest Faculty members have been hired. Additionally, 87 non-teaching staff have been engaged through an outsourcing agency to manage daily operations.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Cabinet has approved the draft of the Odisha University Bill, 2024, which has been presented in the Assembly. Once enacted, this legislation will facilitate the regular recruitment of faculty and staff across universities in the state, the minister added.
