As many as 16 eminent intellectuals of the State have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint anybody in the rank of Professor as Director of the Swami Vivekananda National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (SVNIRTAR), Olatpur in Cuttack district, which runs under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and uphold the national-level institute’s reputation.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the intellectuals mentioned that generally the higher Government educational institutions are headed by Professors, and Associate Professors and Assistant Professors work under him. But by appointing an Assistant Professor as Director of the SVNIRTAR, the Central Government has made a departure from the usual practice.
Describing the appointment as ‘unprecedented and unheard-of’, the intellectuals said, “It has created a tremendous commotion among us and we are unable to digest it.”
“Since the inception of SVNIRTAR, seniority was being maintained strictly in appointing Directors. But this time the principle of seniority has been thrown to the dustbin, and a history of sorts created,” they added.
They further mentioned that even though advertisements had been issued more than once, recruitment mode was cleverly mentioned as ‘on deputation’. Hence many suitable persons were disinterested to apply for the post. A thorough enquiry into the matter would open a Pandora’s box, they said.
The requested the Prime Minister to cancel the present appointment and publish a fresh advertisement inviting applications from candidates of Professor’s rank and select one of them to head the SVNIRTAR.
Those who signed the letter are former Brahmapur University VC Prof Md Quamruddin Khan, former Higher Education Directors Prof Gorachand Patnaik and Prof Partha Sarathi Singha, former BSE President Prof Prabhat Kumar Mishra, former CHSE Chairman Prof Jatindranath Mohanty, former Bar Council of India chairman Jagannath Patnaik, Odisha State Bar Council member Soura Chandra Mohapatra and former chairman Gopal Krushna Mohanty, Odisha HC Bar Association president Dr Ashok Kumar Mohapatra and former president Biswamohan Patnaik, Odisha Sahitya Akademi former President Pathani Patnaik, former SCW Chairperson Namita Panda, Retired Head of Odia Deaprtment, Visva Bharati Prof Baishnab Charan Samal, senior journalist Arun Kumar Panda, former Odisha Government College Teachers’ Association president Dinesh Patnaik and former Additional Government Advocate, Odisha High Court Mirra Ghose.