BHUBANESWAR : The Odisha Government will now give autonomy to public universities to select their vice-chancellors. For this, the state cabinet on Saturday approved the proposal to amend the Odisha Universities Act, 1989. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said the amendment aims to address critical challenges faced by universities while enhancing the overall academic excellence, governance and administrative efficacy of the universities.
Speaking about the amendments, he said the focus is on improving the recruitment process, empowering universities with more autonomy and allowing them to make decisions independently while maintaining accountability. They have to involve academic professionals in the decision-making process, reintroduction of the senate and formation of building and works committee, and finance committee, among other things.
By amending the act, the state government plans to streamline the recruitment process which had been stopped since 2020 when the Supreme Court stayed the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, that was approved during the tenure of the previous BJD government.
Since the 2020 act violated the UGC guidelines on recruitment of vice-chancellors, the commission had approached the SC to stay it. Sources said as per the new amendment to the 1989 act, the selection committee for vice-chancellors will have an eminent educationist as chairman, one syndicate member of the university and one UGC representative.
While approving the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, the BJD government had mandated that the selection committee will comprise of a chancellor’s nominee, who should be a superannuated officer in the government in the rank of chief secretary or secretary, nominee of the UGC and nominee of the State government, who should be an eminent academician of the State or national repute.
This was in conflict with the UGC regulations. Clause-7 of the UGC Regulations-2018 lays down the selection procedure for vice-chancellors/pro vice-chancellors of the universities.
The selection should be by a search-cum-selection committee comprising three to five persons of eminence in the sphere of higher education. The persons will not be connected in any manner with the university concerned.
Ahuja added that the fresh amendment will also incorporate various aspects of the National Education Policy-2020 like multidisciplinary education, skill development and enhanced access to higher education through distance learning.