Teachers’ Associations Oppose Reservation Of Academic Jobs For OAS Officers

Bhubaneswar: The teachers’ bodies in Odisha have condemned the decision of state government to appoint Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) in senior administrative posts in the Higher Education Department in place of academicians.

The state government, in a notification on June 9, had decided to appoint OAS officers as director of Higher Education, State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA); Odisha State Bureau Of Text Book Preparation & Production; Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya Sangathan, registrar of all state-run universities and secretary of Board of Secondary Education (BSE) and Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE).

The Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh said the decision is in contrast to the new Education Policy formulated by the Centre.

“While the new Education Policy formulated by the Centre has laid emphasis on keeping the educational institutions free from bureaucratic influence, the decision of Odisha government to appoint government officials will have an adverse impact on the educational institutions in the state,” said member of the Mahasangh Narayan Mohanty said.

He urged the state government to reconsider its decision and appoint the academicians in the key posts of the Education Department.

Odisha Government College Teachers’ Association has also opposed the decision. “We are of opinion that the education administration is different from general administration. It is a specialised field which needs eminent academics working in educational institutions and having experience and expertise to run it. They will be instrumental in enhancing the quality of higher education,” association president Manas Behera was quoted speaking to Times of India.

The association had also submitted a memorandum to Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo with their demand.

In the restructured Group A  (Senior Branch) and above Grades of OAS cadre, the government created 220 new posts. The appointments in education-related fields also include registrars of 6 medical colleges and 15 universities. This is besides the senior administrative posts mentioned above.

In OAS Special Secretary cadre, 40 new posts have been created taking up the total strength to 65 from the present 25. The break-up of the new posts created is as follows:

The restructure would be in the following manner.

• The total cadre strength of the Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) shall be 2123.
• The principle of interchangeability of posting between OAS Special Secretary (SS) and OAS Superior Administrative Grade (SAG); OAS (SAG) and OAS Supertime Scale (S); OAS (S) and OAS Grade-A Senior Branch (SB) and OAS Grade-A (SB) and OAS Grade-A Junior Branch (JB) subject to maintaining the seniority of reporting officer, would be followed while posting the officers in the field. This will give flexibility to the government in posting of experienced persons in key positions in the field as well as at various levels of the government.
• The posts identified in the cadre schedule of the Odisha Administrative Service Cadre can be utilized for posting of Officers from other Cadres as and when required in exigency of public service.
• The conditions for requirement of minimum residency period for promotion to different grades of the OAS cadre by amendment to the Odisha Administrative Services (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2011 shall be considered by a high-level committee constituted for the purpose.
• This has been concurred in by the Finance Department in the GA & PG Department which will come into force with immediate effect.

The detail cadre strength and corresponding Pay Matrix are given in the table below.