Big Worry For Odisha: Over 63% Prof Posts Lying Vacant In Top Tech Institutes

Bhubaneswar: Over 63 per cent of teaching posts are lying vacant in government-run technical universities and colleges in Odisha.

There are 901 posts sanctioned for teaching staff, but 356 are lying vacant in two technical universities and five engineering colleges, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Premananda Nayak has informed the Assembly.

These institutions are Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Rourkela, VSSUT in Burla, College of Engineering and Technology (CET) in Bhubaneswar, Parala Maharaja Engineering College (PMEC) in Berhampur, Government Colleges of Engineering in Keonjhar and Kalahandi and Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT) in Saranga, the minister said in reply to a question of BJD MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

The sanctioned strength of professors in these institutes is 107 and the persons in position are only 40, leaving 67 posts vacant.

In VSSUT, 22 posts of the 45 sanctioned are vacant. In BPUT, only one professor is in position leaving four posts vacant.

The minister said only 6 professors are in position in CET that has a sanctioned strength of 22. The GEC in Keonjhar and Kalahandi are being managed by one professor each whereas the sanctioned strengths are 6 and 7, respectively. The vacancy position in IGIT is 9 out of 15 while it is 5 out of 7 in PMEC.

These institutes are facing a shortage of 58 pc associate professors. While the sanctioned strength of associate professors is 267, only 156 persons are in position, according to a report in The New Indian Express.

All the institutes are managing the show with a skeleton staff strength. In BPUT, 13 posts of associate professor are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength of 15. Only 2 teachers are in position.

Though the assistant professors in position are no better, it is manageable. The number of vacancies is 133 against the sanctioned strength of 527. In written reply, the Minister said all the 15 posts of instructor in GCE, Keonjhar are lying vacant. In IGIT and VSSUT, the vacancy position is 9 and 7, respectively.