CUTTACK: The vacation bench of the Orissa High Court on Tuesday directed the state government to file a response regarding functioning of the Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University in Baripada without a regular vice-chancellor for nearly two and a half years.
The issue was raised by advocate Prabir Kumar Das by way of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the court’s intervention. Appearing in person, Das submitted that the university is functioning without a regular vice-chancellor since November 2022.
Acting on it, the vacation bench of Justices SK Sahoo and MS Sahoo directed the state government to file a response to the petition, and posted the matter for hearing to the week starting June 30. Accordingly, the bench directed the state counsel to take instructions by then after a preliminary hearing on the matter.
In a notification issued on December 7, 2022, the chancellor had appointed the V-C of Fakir Mohan University, Balasore as in-charge VC of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University.
Section 6 (10) of the Odisha University Act, 1989 mandates that where it is not practicable to fill up the post of vice-chancellor, the chancellor may appoint the V-C of another public university as in-charge VC for a period not exceeding one year. As the in-charge V-C took charge on December 14, 2022, his appointment was valid till December 13, 2023. Hence his continuance is without any authority of law, Das contended.
The petition on the basis of information gathered under the RTI Act, 2005 said though the state Higher Education department had issued an advertisement for appointment of V-C of Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, no action has followed.