Odisha Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, also Chancellor of state universities, today announced the appointment of new Vice-Chancellors for 14 universities where the positions had remained vacant for an extended period.
The appointments were made through official press releases from the Office of the Chancellor at Lok Bhavan, exercising powers under the Odisha Universities Act, 1989, and the Odia University Act, 2017.
The process followed the invitation of applications in June 2025, followed by credential verification of numerous candidates. These appointments are expected to bring stable leadership, strengthen academic governance, promote research and innovation, and enhance the overall quality of higher education in the state.
The newly appointed Vice-Chancellors and their respective universities are:
- Utkal University: Prof. Chandi Prasad Nanda
- Ravenshaw University: Prof. Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra
- Fakir Mohan University: Prof. Santosh Kumar Tripathy
- Dharanidhar University: Prof. Sanjaya Kumar Patro
- Gangadhar Meher University: Prof. Byomakesh Tripathy
- Khallikote Unitary University: Prof. Asima Sahu
- Maa Manikeshwari University: Prof. Pawan Kumar Agrawal
- Madhusudan Law University: Prof. Sibaram Tripathy
- Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University: Prof. Mahendra Kumar Mohanty
- Rajendra University: Prof. Bibhuti Bhusan Malik
- Rama Devi Women’s University: Prof. Jyotsna K.B. Rout
- Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University: Prof. Prabhat Kumar Mohapatra
- Vikram Dev University: Prof. Hrushikesh Senapaty
- Odia University: Prof. Satyanarayan Acharya
In his statement, the Governor expressed confidence in the appointees, stating that under their vision and guidance, the universities would excel in education, research, and innovation, thereby shaping the future of higher education in Odisha. He extended his best wishes to all the new Vice-Chancellors as they assume their responsibilities.
These appointments come amid ongoing discussions about improving faculty recruitment and addressing administrative challenges in state universities.
