CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has ordered the chief secretary and the commissioner-cum-secretary to the chancellor of state universities to submit affidavits detailing concrete steps being taken to fill the 13,000 vacant teacher posts in state-run high schools and universities.
The single judge bench of Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad issued the order on Monday while expressing dissatisfaction over the partial compliance of an earlier directive issued on September 23 this year. The court had then asked the state government to provide a full status report on existing vacancies and recruitment measures in high schools and higher educational institutions.
Two letters dated October 10 and 13 respectively from the directorate of Secondary Education and the joint secretary to the Department of Higher Education were submitted before the court. The letters disclosed that the total vacant positions of teachers in government high schools were 5,565, fully aided high school (1,652), newly-aided (block grant) high school (3,538) and Sanskrit Tolls (505).
Concerning the number of teaching posts in state public universities, out of the total 298 posts of sanctioned strength of professors, 260 are lying vacant, out of total 591 posts of sanctioned strength of associate professors, 453 posts are lying vacant and out of total 2,073 posts of sanctioned strength of assistant professors, 1,404 posts are yet to be filled up.
However, Justice Shripad noted that “the information furnished in these two letters falls short of the requirement to make any positive order in the matter”. The court has now ordered that the chief secretary and the commissioner-cum-secretary to the chancellor of state universities be added as parties in the case.
Accordingly, Justice Shripad directed that both the officers must file affidavits before the next hearing on November 10, specifying what concrete steps have been taken to fill these vacant positions. The judge warned that failure to do so may invite “stringent action” and “bitter criticism”.
The developments stem from a petition filed by Arpita Priyadarshini and three other unemployed youth, who challenged the government’s August 1, 2025 notification for appointment of 6,387 retired teachers as guest teachers in aided, newly-aided (block grant) high schools and Sanskrit Tolls for the 2025-26 academic year.
The petitioners argued that this policy sidelines thousands of qualified young aspirants, many of whom have passed the Odisha Secondary School Teacher Eligibility Test (OSSTET) and possess the requisite BEd degree.
The state government, in its defence, had said the guest teacher policy was a temporary measure to avoid classroom disruptions, and assured the court that regular recruitment was already underway.
