BHUBANESWAR: At a time when the State Government is promoting Odia language and culture in a big way and has even created a separate Odia language, literature and culture department, half of the teacher posts on the subject in universities remain vacant. Besides, chairs set up in universities for research of Odia language and literature are lying defunct because of lack of interest on the part of the Government for their revival.The dismal situation is not limited to research and study of Odia language and literature only. Shortage of teaching staff and poor infrastructure have affected the higher education also.
Shortage of Odia teachers in universities and defunct chairs were admitted by Minister of State for Higher Education Anant Das in separate written replies to questions by Dilip Ray (BJP). The issue of large scale vacancy of teachers and sub-standard infrastructure cropped up during discussion on the admissibility of an adjournment motion brought by opposition Congress and BJP members.
The Minister said teaching of Odia language and literature is imparted in Utkal, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Gangadhar Meher, North Odisha, Rama Devi, Ravenshaw and Fakir Mohan universities where 26 out of 52 sanctioned posts of professor, reader and lecturer are vacant. Surprisingly, all the 14 posts of professor, reader and lecturer are vacant in Ramadevi Women’s University and Gangadhar Meher University. In Utkal University, the two posts of professor and one post of reader are vacant in the department of Odia language and literature.
The Minister admitted that five chairs were established in Utkal Univesity and all of them are now defunct. Satyabadi chair and Artaballabh Mohanty chair were set up in the department of Odia language and literature with financial assistance from social welfare fund and University Grants Commission (UGC). One professor each were appointed for both the chairs. But there have been no appointment to these after their retirement, he said.
Making a statement in response to the adjournment motion, the Minister admitted that 1,010 posts of lecturers are vacant in Government degree colleges. As against the sanctioned strength of 2,306 lecturers for Government degree colleges, 1296 posts have been filled up. Besides, a large number of lecturer posts is lying vacant in the non-government degree colleges.
However, 1,625 posts of lecturer have been filled up during 2016-17 while steps are being taken to fill up another 833 posts, he said.Raising the issue, members cutting across partylines including Leader of the Opposition Narasingh Mishra, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, Rabinarayan Naik and Pradip Purohit (both BJP) expressed concern over the deteriorating standard of higher education because of shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure.The State Government should take steps to fill up vacancies and talk to the agitating lecturers about their demands, Mishra said.
Vacancy galore
8 universities where teaching of Odia language and literature is imparted
52 posts of professor, reader and lecturer sanctioned for varsities
26 posts of professor, reader and lecturer lying vacant
5 chairs in Utkal Univesity are defunct