Acute Shortage Of Lecturers, No Odia Prof In 2 Varsities: Minister

Higher Education minister Ananta Das on Thursday informed the State Assembly that there is an acute shortage of lecturers in government and non-government aided colleges of Odisha.

The minister, in reply to an adjournment notice, said 1,010 posts of lecturers are lying vacant in government degree colleges. As against the sanctioned strength of 2,306 lecturers for government degree colleges, the number of the lecturers at present is only 1,296. Besides, a large number of lecturer’s posts are also lying vacant in the non-government degree colleges of the state.

However, 1,625 posts of lecturers have been filled during 2016-17 while steps are being taken to fill another 833 posts, he said.

Replying to a question by BJP member Dilip Ray, the minister said the post of Odia professor is lying vacant in most of the universities of the state at present.

“Out of eight universities, the post of Odia professor is lying vacant in five universities, namely Utkal University, Fakir Mohan University, Gangadhar Meher University, Ravenshaw University and Rama Devi Women’s University. Besides, there are no senior Odia lecturers or professors in Gangadhar Meher University and Ramadevi Women’s University,” informed the minister.