CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has posted to March 25 the hearing of a PIL alleging inaction by the state government in filling up several vacant posts in the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC), a statutory body responsible for advising the state on higher education policies and reforms.
The PIL was filed by advocate and human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das, who contended that the council has been functioning in a “truncated” manner due to prolonged vacancies, which has severely hampered its functioning.
On February 10, the court had issued notice to the state government seeking its response to the allegations that key positions, including the vice-chairman and 13 of the 15 members, remained vacant for long periods.
On March 11, additional secretary of the Higher Education department Dharanidhar Nanda filed an affidavit outlining steps taken to fill the vacancies.
According to the affidavit, a search committee was constituted on February 20, 2026 to recommend suitable candidates for the posts of vice-chairperson and member secretary. The government also issued an advertisement on February 25 inviting applications from eligible candidates for the two posts, allowing a period of 21 days for submissions.
In the affidavit, the state government requested the court to grant four months to complete the ongoing selection process. Taking note of the affidavit, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice MS Raman scheduled the next hearing for March 25 and granted the petitioner time till then to file a rejoinder to the affidavit.
The petition highlighted that the previous vice-chairman Prof Ashok Kumar Das, who joined OSHEC on January 2, 2018, completed his six-year tenure on January 1, 2024. Though his term was extended, he resigned on August 8, 2024, following which the government appointed the commissioner-cum-secretary as in-charge vice-chairman.
It further stated that 13 of the council’s 15 members, appointed on February 20, 2019, completed their tenure on February 19, 2025, but fresh appointments have not yet been made.