ROURKELA: The decision of National Institute of Technology-Rourkela (NIT-R) to replace six incumbent deans and three associate deans with relatively less experienced faculty members ignoring the eligible seniors has not gone down well with the institute’s professors. It comes close on the heels of the recent controversies in faculty recruitment, promotion of non-teaching staff and the CAG audit report presenting the premier institute in poor light. The order was circulated on Friday evening.
All the six new deans were elevated as professors in 2018. Around the same time, the new associate deans got elevated as associate professors. Sources said the two-year tenure of the incumbent deans and associate deans expire on June 30. They described it as an ‘abrupt’ and unprecedented move in the history of NIT-R as before this, existing deans inevitably used to get one year extension as per available provision. The institute Director appoints deans with assent of the Chairman of the Board of Governors (BOG), but the BOG Chairman does not look into the eligibility aspects, sources added.
The new deans are Prof Alok Satpathy (Academics), Prof Sushmita Dash (Faculty Welfare), Prof Ritwik Sarkar (Sponsored Research), Prof Abanti Sahoo (Alumni Relations), Prof PK Sahoo (Planning and Development) and Prof Saroj Kumar Patel (Students Affairs).
Similarly, Prof Nihar Mishra, Prof B G Mishra and Prof Sourabh Chaterji have been appointed as associate deans in Academics, Faculty Welfare and Sponsored Research respectively. Incidentally, incumbent Associate Dean (Alumni Relations) Prof Santanu Behera has been allowed to continue for another two years.
Some senior most professors, requesting anonymity, said it is unfortunate that Prof Nihar Mishra belonging to Humanities Department appointed as Associate Dean (Academics) will be dealing with all academic aspects of B.Tech and M.Tech students. Appointment of Prof PK Sahoo of Electrical Engineering department as Dean (Planning and Development) is also not in line with his field of expertise. They said at the cost of deserving persons, those with no significant credentials have been appointed as deans who are next to the Director in the institute’s hierarchy.
They said after six years, an assistant professor gets elevated to associate professor who after three years, rises to the level of professor. The institute has at least 40 professors with 20 years or more experience including 14 HAG (Higher Administrative Grade) professors, but all of them were ignored. NIT-R Director Prof Animesh Biswas did not comment on the issue.