While the Government is not regularising hundreds of lecturers under Block Grant scale, not a single degree college, whether Government or Government aided, has a permanent post of principal, indicating clearly the deplorable state of higher education in Odisha.
To add insult to injury, thousands of Lecturer posts are lying vacant over years with the Government just sitting a mute spectator.
According to the information presented by Higher Education Minister Ananta Das on a question of BJP member Dilip Ray in the Assembly on Thursday, 52 Government and 598 Government -aided colleges are functioning under the Higher Education Department. However, none of them has a regular Principal. Only in-charge Principals are running the show.
Das informed that his department is taking steps for filling Principal posts in 29 Government colleges for which the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has been asked to start the process.
For the aided colleges also, the Government has been taking steps to recruit the Principals, Das told.
The Higher Education Minister further revealed that there are 2,306 sanctioned posts of Lecturers in the 52 Government degree colleges but only 1,022 are functional. Consequently, while 1,284 Lecturer posts are vacant in these colleges, they are run along with the existing staffers with 123 ad hoc and guest faculty members.
However, the Minister told the OPSC has been asked to initiate recruitment process for 161 Lecturer posts. Das told that in these colleges of the 2,299 sanctioned non teaching posts, 1,165 posts are lying vacant.
In the aided degree colleges, the Minister told, there are 6,364 sanctioned posts of Lecturers of which 1,666 posts are vacant. The SSB has been asked to conduct recruitment for 833 posts in these colleges. Of the sanctioned 3,698 non teaching posts in these colleges, as many as 1,098 posts are vacant, Das told.
According to sources, the Block Grant Lecturers constitute the mainstay of the academic strength of the degree aided colleges. However, due to regular agitation, these teachers are not giving their 100 per cent. As a result, the classes are severely affected.
“Not a single Government and Government aided degree colleges having a regular Principal and many posts in them lying vacant over years smack of the deplorable condition of higher education of Odisha. The Government has to take urgent steps to fill the vacancies while elected representatives, leaders and student and youth organisations across party lines should put pressure on the Government for this,” told Ray.