Government colleges in the State will have to manage with teachers appointed on temporary basis for one more year.
As recruitment of permanent teachers through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) is a lengthy process, the State Government has directed all degree and junior colleges to appoint teachers in different disciplines on ad hoc basis for one year or till regular appointment is made through the Commission.
Of 1,818 sanctioned posts in Government degree colleges, 612 are lying vacant while 279 are vacant in 1,334 junior colleges which have 1,023 sanctioned posts.
A workload study conducted by the Higher Education Department earlier this year recommended that with 25 classes per lecturer in a week, 678 posts are required to be filled up.
State Government had recently sent requisition to OPSC for appointment of 281 lectures in Plus Three colleges and 272 lecturers in Plus Two colleges. Sources in the Higher Education Department said recruitment of lecturers for Plus Three colleges is taking place after 22 years.
Meanwhile, the OPSC has in the first phase selected 38 candidates for Plus Two colleges. These candidates belong to special category.
The written test for the second phase of recruitment has been completed and interviews of the candidates will be done within a month’s time.
The second phase candidates will be appointed by September and subsequently, third phase recruitment will be taken up. Lecturers for Plus Three colleges would be recruited through interview with no written test.
Recently, the Government had approved revival of Service Selection Board (SSB) for recruitment to the Government-aided colleges. The SSB had been lying defunct for the last 20 years. Earlier this year, the Government sanctioned 176 teacher posts for seven Government-run universities. While some universities have floated advertisements for recruitment, others are yet to do so.
Higher Education Minister Badri Narayan Patra said once the recruitment is over, education at both degree and junior colleges would be streamlined.