Odisha Govt Initiates Structural Reforms in State Universities: Here’s Key Highlights

All Universities to Come Under One Act

Tenure of VCs to Be Enhanced from 3 Yrs to 4 Yrs

Upper Age Limit for VC Post to Be Enhanced from 65 Yrs to 67 Yrs

Recruitment of University Teachers to Be Done OPSC

Bhubaneswar: With an aim to bring major reforms in the Odisha universities, the State Cabinet today approved several proposals.

Here are the key highlights:

I. The State Cabinet has approved promulgation of “The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020” to amend the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 and to repeal the Ravenshaw University Act, 2005.

2. Ravenshaw University is a unitary University which was established under the Ravenshaw University Act, 2005. On the other hand, Gangadhar Meher University and Khalikote University, which are also unitary Universities, were established under the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. To bring all Universities under one Act, the Cabinet has decided to repeal the Ravenshaw University Act, 2005. Ravenshaw University will now come under the purview of the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 and will continue to function as usual.

3. The important amendments of the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 approved by the Cabinet are given below.

(i) Though Senate is the highest authority of a University, over the years it has become dysfunctional. Therefore, the concept of Senate shall be done away with.

(ii) Henceforth, Syndicate will function as the highest authority of a University. Constitution of the Syndicate will be restructured to make it more functional and professional. In the restructured Syndicate, there will be adequate representation of Chancellor well as the State Government.

(iii) Tenure of Vice Chancellors shall be enhanced from 3 years to 4 years so that they can make some long-term contribution to the University.

(iv) Upper age limit to hold the post of Vice Chancellor shall be enhanced from 65 years to 67 years.

(v) No Vice Chancellor shall be re-appointed as VC of the same University for the second time.

(vi) At present, the State Government does not have a say in the 3-member Search Committee, constituted by the Chancellor, for selection of Vice Chancellors. Therefore, an eminent academician, nominated by the State Government, shall be made a member of the Search Committee in place of the nominee of the Syndicate of the University concerned.

(vii) As the concepts of ‘Registered Teachers’ and ‘Registered Graduates’ have become obsolete, they shall be done away with.

(viii) To avoid collective wastage of time and resources, recruitment of teachers in the Universities shall be done centrally by Odisha Public Service Commission.

(ix) To avoid collective wastage of time and resources, recruitment of non-teaching employees in the Universities shall be done centrally by State Selection Board.

(x) The extremely difficult provision of laying voluminous annual audit reports of all Universities in the Odisha Legislative Assembly shall be done away with. Instead, the annual audit reports shall be made available in the University website for at least 3 years for information of all concerned.