Bhubaneswar: The Higher Education Department has asked four state universities to start the teacher recruitment process.
The appointments in Sambalpur University, Ravenshaw University at Cuttack, North Odisha University at Baripada and Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishvavidayalaya at Puri were stalled for more than a year due to reservation-related disputes.
According to official sources, the department had imposed restriction on recruitment to make the process seamless, faultless and free from any dispute.
Ravenshaw University has 179 vacant teaching posts of the 267 sanctioned strength. Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishvavidayalaya has 24 vacant teaching posts against the sanctioned 38. In Sambalpur University, 52 of 153 posts are lying vacant. The North Odisha University has 74 vacant posts against 115 sanctioned.
A total of 329 teachers will be recruited in these four universities, said a senior higher education department official.
Besides these four universities, other six universities in the state are also facing the same situation.
Utkal University has 119 vacant posts against the sanctioned 257 teaching posts. Rama Devi Women’s University, which was upgraded into an affiliated university on May 30, 2015, has only 33 permanent faculty members against the sanctioned strength of 138. Newly-created Gangadhar Meher University has only 16 teachers against 144 sanctioned posts. In Khallikote University, 12 of 42 sanctioned posts are lying vacant.
Berhampur University, one of the oldest universities of the state, has 72 vacant posts against the sanctioned strength of 153. Fakir Mohan University has only 45 teachers of the 117 sanctioned posts, reports the Times of India.
On May 27 last year, the department had asked these universities not to proceed with recruitment of teachers till further instructions. But it directed the universities on May 9 last year to start the recruitment process.