Odisha to Speed Up Appointments of VCs, Faculty Following SC Ruling

BHUBANESWAR, May 8: Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced on Thursday that the state government will expedite the process of appointing vice-chancellors (VCs) and faculty members in various universities, following the Supreme Court’s decision to lift the stay on such appointments.

The Supreme Court’s verdict came after it ruled that the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2020, introduced by the previous BJD government, violated University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. The minister welcomed the ruling, stating that the decision confirms flaws in the previous legislation and clears the way for the appointments to proceed.

Suraj assured that the state government would take prompt action to fill the vacant positions in Odisha’s universities, which have been without permanent leadership and faculty members for some time. The move is expected to strengthen the academic infrastructure and improve the quality of higher education in the state.