High-level meet on implementation of amended Odisha Universities Act

BHUBANESWAR: Amid opposition to the Odisha Universities Amendment Ordinance 2020 by the academicians and political parties, the state government on Wednesday conducted a high level meeting on implementation of the amended provisions of the Act.
In the meeting, the registrars and controllers of finance of 12 state public universities discussed about six major topics. Saswat Mishra, higher education department secretary, discussed with them in detail about the implantation of the amended Act.
According to the amendment of the Odisha Universities Act, recruitment of teachers of these universities will be done by Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) and non-teaching posts by State Selection Board (SSB).The university representatives were told to file requisition for teaching and non-teaching posts with OPSC and SSB respectively.
Recently, the government had asked universities to stop ongoing recruitment for teaching and non-teaching posts after amendment of Odisha Universities Act, 1989. Recruitment for these posts were previously done by the university authorities.
They discussed about uploading of audit reports of universities in their websites. "We have started uploading the audit reports of last three years in the university website. We are also implementing other directions of the department," said registrar of a university.
The department secretary has also discussed about reconstitution of Syndicate, powerful body of the university. "After amendment of the Act, university statutes and university accounts manual will be amended too. It will be done soon," said registrar of another university.
The amendment of the Act has created hue and cry in the state. Besides academicians, BJP and Congress leaders have also opposed 'The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020'. They argued that this proposed amendment will curtail the autonomy of the universities. Student organisations also vehemently protested this amendment.
Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also written a letter to his cabinet colleague Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on this issue.