Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is set to accelerate the recruitment process to fill around 1,400 vacant teaching posts across various state universities. This includes positions for Vice-Chancellors, Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced on Saturday that the process for filling these vacancies is being fast-tracked. He added that recruitment of Vice-Chancellors is also being expedited, with several universities currently operating without permanent heads.
The government has already issued directions to the State Selection Board (SSB) and the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to ensure timely recruitment. Specifically, 385 Assistant Professor posts are targeted to be filled before July.
“A bill has been passed addressing the issue of around 1,400 vacant posts for Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and Professors. We have adopted a university-based (unit) approach for reservations instead of the earlier department-based system. This strictly follows the Supreme Court’s guidelines on the unreserved category, ensuring that reservations do not exceed 50%,” the Minister said.
He further stated that provisions for women’s reservation and reservations for persons with disabilities (Divyang) will be implemented in line with government resolutions. Advertisements for various positions—from Vice-Chancellors to teachers and Assistant Professors—have already started being issued by the State Selection Board.
The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act has significantly streamlined the recruitment process by restoring greater autonomy to universities and clearing legal hurdles that had earlier stalled appointments.
