Odisha govt should rethink University Amendment Act: Education minister Pradhan

🔴 The amended Act brings the appointment to important academic and administrative posts in state universities, including the recruitment of teaching staff, under control of the Odisha government.

Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday urged the state government to rethink the contentious Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, which was passed in the Assembly in November last year.

The amended Act brings the appointment to important academic and administrative posts in state universities, including the recruitment of teaching staff, under control of the Odisha government.

The legislation altered the committee’s composition for the selection of VCs of universities, and said that the teachers’ recruitments will be done by the Odisha Public Service Commission. Selection to these posts were previously done by the universities.

“From the administrative point of view, you can implement a unitary system to keep a check on how the state government’s education budget is being spent, what disciplines must be taught… but for academic excellence, it is necessary that Universities are given their freedom,” Pradhan said while delivering the keynote address on the 79th Foundation Day of Utkal University in Bhubaneswar.

“The NEP is preparing a bigger launching pad for academic excellence. Keeping this in mind, Odisha government should rethink its decision.”

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