SAMBALPUR: Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) is grappling with shortage of teaching staff with more than half of the faculty posts lying vacant.
Recently, former MP of Sambalpur Bhabani Shankar Hota shot off a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stating that out of the total 144 sanctioned faculty posts in GMU, 75 are lying vacant which is around 52 per cent. The university has only three professors, one each in Hindi, Physics and Political Science departments.
In the rest of the departments, there are no professors. Several posts of associate professor and assistant professor are also lying vacant.
“With 21 departments, Ravenshaw University at Cuttack has 258 sanctioned teaching posts. However, GMU has a sanctioned strength of 144 teachers for 23 departments,” Hota said and appealed to the CM to take immediate steps to fill up the vacancies.
Sources said following sanction of 144 posts including 23 professors, 35 associate professors and 86 assistant professors for 23 departments, GMU authorities started the recruitment process in phases. By the end of 2020, around 80 posts were filled up. Later, the recruitment process was taken over by the Odisha Public Service Commission.
Subsequently with the joining of new Vice-Chancellor (VC), a fresh requisition was sent to the OPSC for recruitment to around 60 posts.
GMU VC N Nagaraju said the entire recruitment process is being looked after by the OPSC.
“We are unaware of the current status, but once recruitment to the pending posts is over, we will send another requisition for the remaining vacancies in a few months. The university has informed the Higher Education department about the vacant posts,” the VC added.
Sources in GMU said though 80 posts were filled up, many newly-recruited teachers left the university after getting better postings at colleges of their preference. This was the reason behind such a large number of vacancies in GMU.