Governor and Chancellor of Universities Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati on Saturday directed Vice-Chancellors of state public universities in Odisha to kickstart the recruitment process for vacant teaching positions by the first week of November and complete it before the month ends.
Addressing a high-level review meeting on faculty recruitment at Lok Bhavan’s New Abhishek Hall, the Governor emphasised that filling long-standing teaching vacancies is the next major milestone following the recent appointment of Vice-Chancellors across 14 state universities.
“Merit should be the priority in the appointment of teaching faculty. Quality and merit cannot be compromised,” Dr Kambhampati stated, stressing that universities must secure the best academic talent available.
To ensure fairness and equal opportunity, the Governor proposed calling all eligible applicants directly for interviews rather than subjecting candidates to aggressive shortlisting during initial scrutiny. This approach, he noted, prevents deserving candidates from feeling excluded while providing interview panels with a broader pool of talent to evaluate.
Alongside recruitment goals, the Governor urged university administrators to pursue sustainability and administrative standardisation. Citing the IGBC platinum green certification recently earned by Odisha Lok Bhavan, he encouraged campuses to leverage their existing green cover to achieve similar certifications and recommended adopting solar power through self-funded or RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) models. He also advocated for establishing a uniform tenure length for Vice-Chancellors across all public universities in the state, noting current discrepancies where terms range between three and four years.
Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj fully endorsed the directives, instructing Vice-Chancellors to formulate strict timelines to meet the November completion deadline. Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agrawal delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining the current status of faculty vacancies across state institutions.
The meeting was attended by Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, and senior officials from both the Higher Education Department and Lok Bhavan.
