SAMBALPUR: The Government Women’s College in Sambalpur is facing a severe shortage of both teaching and non-teaching staff, impacting its academic and administrative functioning.
According to official sources, 19 out of the 76 sanctioned faculty positions are vacant, forcing the college to rely on guest lecturers which compromises the quality of education. The lack of permanent faculty members continues to raise concerns about maintaining consistent academic quality.
The situation is more dire among non-teaching staff where, out of 66 sanctioned posts for non-teaching staff including senior assistant, junior assistant, clerk, librarian and peon, only 17 are currently occupied and 49 positions are vacant. The shortage of clerical staff, with only four positions being filled, is particularly alarming, due to which lecturers take up administrative work, sources said.
Established in 1959 as a private institution and later taken over by the government, the college is one of the oldest women’s colleges in western Odisha. Around 1,200 students across 19 undergraduate and 18 postgraduate programmes study from not only Odisha, but also from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Around 830 students reside in the college hostels.
Principal of the college Rajashree Baral said that the issue has been communicated to the Education department and higher authorities, and they are awaiting a response.
A few years ago, the college saw a movement advocating its recognition as a university. Alumni and prominent persons from the city demanded upgradation to a university, with plans to develop additional infrastructure.