Odisha Governor and Chancellor of Universities Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati has directed vice-chancellors of state public universities to initiate the recruitment process for vacant teaching posts by the first week of November and complete it by the end of the month.

The Governor issued the direction while chairing a meeting on the ongoing recruitment of teaching faculty at state public universities at New Abhishek Hall on the Lok Bhavan premises in Bhubaneswar.

Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department Aravind Agrawal, vice-chancellors and registrars of state public universities, along with senior officials from the department and Lok Bhavan, attended the meeting.

Merit to Remain Priority in Faculty Recruitment

Dr Kambhampati said filling vacant teaching positions would be the next major challenge after the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities.

Recalling that vice-chancellors of 14 universities were appointed on a single day after he assumed office, the Governor stressed the need for clear timelines to complete faculty recruitment.

He said merit and quality must remain the top priorities in the selection of teaching faculty and that there should be no compromise in recruiting qualified candidates.

The Governor also suggested that all eligible applicants should be called for interviews instead of extensive shortlisting and scrutiny at the initial stage. According to him, this would ensure that eligible candidates are not excluded and would provide interview panels with a wider pool of applicants.

Universities Urged to Adopt Green Initiatives

Dr Kambhampati also encouraged state universities to pursue green certification, citing the platinum certification received by Odisha Lok Bhavan from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

He noted that many universities already have considerable green cover and said they could work towards certification with additional efforts.

The Governor further urged universities to adopt solar power on their campuses either through their own initiatives or under the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model.

Common Tenure for Vice-Chancellors Suggested

During the meeting, the Governor also sought details from universities pursuing accreditation and suggested having a common tenure for vice-chancellors across all state public universities.

He noted that some universities currently have a three-year tenure for vice-chancellors, while others have a four-year tenure, and called for uniformity.

Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj supported the Governor’s suggestions and directed vice-chancellors to set specific timelines for completing the faculty recruitment process.

Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal presented the current status of teaching faculty recruitment in state public universities during the meeting.

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