The increasing incidents of unrest in the State Government-run universities and deteriorating level of education has left the academicians worried.
Students’ agitations over faculty crisis and lack of promotional avenues for the teachers are some of the problems which all the seven Government universities are facing today. The All Odisha University Employees’ Federation on Tuesday sought intervention of Governor SC Jamir in the matter.
Submitting a memorandum to the Governor, they said a review commission should be set up by the State Government to look into various problems that universities are facing.
They demanded that teaching, research and extension activities of all universities should be reviewed by Government, an independent inquiry made into financial irregularities, measures for recruitment of both teachers and staff recommended and teaching and research standard of the universities improved.
Later speaking to mediapersons, Bhabani Shankar Hota, former MP and president of the All-India University Employees’ Confederation said Government should constitute a State university grant commission on lines of the UGC to look after State universities.
“The State university grants commission would review and scrutinise fund requirement of every university. It would help in streamlining the funds sanctioning process and also look into promotional avenues for teaching staff,” said Hota.
They also demanded vacancies in different universities to be filled up. Around 50 per cent of teaching and more than 1,000 non-teaching posts are lying vacant in the universities.
“It is unfortunate that these days universities are functioning like Government departments. Universities should be dealt in a different way and the Government must expedite the process of recruitment to fill up vacancies at the earliest,” said Hota. Over 4,000 employees of various universities of State are registered members of All Odisha University Employees’ Federation.