Amid state-UGC tussle, varsities proceed to endure

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Caught within the tussle between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Odisha authorities over recruitment guidelines, public universities within the state proceed to grapple with vacant school positions.It’s been over eight months since Supreme Court stayed the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, stalling the recruitment of college members and VCs in universities following a petition filed in opposition to the federal government transfer by each UGC and retired professor of JNU Ajit Kumar Mohanty.

While two VCs – Sambalpur University VC Bidhu Bhusan Mishra and Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University VC Rabindra Kumar Panda – had been appointed because the SC keep, the recruitment of college members has been placed on maintain. DHE officers mentioned the VC recruitments had been initiated a lot earlier than the SC keep.

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) had appointed round 200 school members by the point the SC imposed a keep order on the act. As a results of the keep, not one of the 200 school members might be a part of the schools. Around 400 extra school positions are to be stuffed up after the SC vacates its keep.

In May, the apex court docket had sought a reply from the state authorities and set the date for the following listening to on the matter after two months. However, the state filed its reply solely lately and the SC has now set the following listening to date in February.

“The state government in its reply has again stated that it has the power to frame new norms governing the universities which are funded and monitored by it. Besides, the government has said that the state-specific law is not violating the qualification norm of UGC for both VCs and faculty members. But our contention is that the state government is committing procedural violations in the process,” mentioned Mohanty, one of many petitioners.

Under the procedural violation, the state authorities took away the ability of recruitment of college members of universities from the respective senates and gave it to the OPSC. Besides, the UGC laws state that appointments of VCs needs to be finished by way of a search-cum-selection committee that contains educationists. However, the Odisha act mandates nominee of state authorities within the committee, ideally a chief secretary degree officer.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar mentioned that UGC’s stand is obvious on college recruitments by the Odisha authorities. “The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 is a violation of the UGC Regulations-2018 (UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2018) issued under UGC Act, 1956,” he mentioned.

Stating that the Orissa High Court upholding the validity of the native act in January final 12 months was opposite to the UGC laws, Kumar added that the UGC is hopeful that the SC ruling might be in its favour. “After the UGC appeal in May and even before that, the Supreme Court had passed judgements cancelling appointments of VCs in Kerala and Gujarat that were found contrary to the 2018 regulations,” he mentioned.

BHUBANESWAR: Caught within the tussle between the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Odisha authorities over recruitment guidelines, public universities within the state proceed to grapple with vacant school positions.It’s been over eight months since Supreme Court stayed the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, stalling the recruitment of college members and VCs in universities following a petition filed in opposition to the federal government transfer by each UGC and retired professor of JNU Ajit Kumar Mohanty.

While two VCs – Sambalpur University VC Bidhu Bhusan Mishra and Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University VC Rabindra Kumar Panda – had been appointed because the SC keep, the recruitment of college members has been placed on maintain. DHE officers mentioned the VC recruitments had been initiated a lot earlier than the SC keep.

The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) had appointed round 200 school members by the point the SC imposed a keep order on the act. As a results of the keep, not one of the 200 school members might be a part of the schools. Around 400 extra school positions are to be stuffed up after the SC vacates its keep.

In May, the apex court docket had sought a reply from the state authorities and set the date for the following listening to on the matter after two months. However, the state filed its reply solely lately and the SC has now set the following listening to date in February.

“The state government in its reply has again stated that it has the power to frame new norms governing the universities which are funded and monitored by it. Besides, the government has said that the state-specific law is not violating the qualification norm of UGC for both VCs and faculty members. But our contention is that the state government is committing procedural violations in the process,” mentioned Mohanty, one of many petitioners.

Under the procedural violation, the state authorities took away the ability of recruitment of college members of universities from the respective senates and gave it to the OPSC. Besides, the UGC laws state that appointments of VCs needs to be finished by way of a search-cum-selection committee that contains educationists. However, the Odisha act mandates nominee of state authorities within the committee, ideally a chief secretary degree officer.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar mentioned that UGC’s stand is obvious on college recruitments by the Odisha authorities. “The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 is a violation of the UGC Regulations-2018 (UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2018) issued under UGC Act, 1956,” he mentioned.

Stating that the Orissa High Court upholding the validity of the native act in January final 12 months was opposite to the UGC laws, Kumar added that the UGC is hopeful that the SC ruling might be in its favour. “After the UGC appeal in May and even before that, the Supreme Court had passed judgements cancelling appointments of VCs in Kerala and Gujarat that were found contrary to the 2018 regulations,” he mentioned.