Odisha Brings New Law to Improve University System
The Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024 officially became law on Sunday after Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati gave his approval. This new law is expected to bring big changes to how universities in Odisha are run and how teachers are hired.
The bill was passed in the Odisha Assembly on April 2 after a long discussion. The Governor signed it on April 12, and it came into effect soon after.
Odisha’s Higher Education Minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, thanked the Governor and called this law a “new beginning” for higher education in the state. He said that the new law will fix many old problems in the university system, improve how universities work, and help raise the quality of education.
One of the biggest changes in the new law is related to hiring university teachers. Earlier, the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) handled teacher recruitment. Now, each university will have its own hiring committee made up of experienced educators. This change is meant to make the hiring process faster and more suitable for each university’s specific needs.
The way vice-chancellors (the top leaders of universities) are chosen has also been changed. From now on, a three-member committee of respected people from the education field will select them. Also, the age limit for someone to become a vice-chancellor has been raised from 67 years to 70 years.
Another big change is the return of the university senate system. A senate is a top advisory group in a university that helps make important decisions. Each university will now have a 68-member senate. At least 37 of these members must be teachers, students, and education experts. This will ensure that decisions are made with input from people directly involved in education. The senate must meet at least two times a year.
The Education Minister said that these changes will help build a strong education system in Odisha. He added that good universities are key to building a better economy based on knowledge, research, and innovation.
These reforms aim to make universities in Odisha more efficient, inclusive, and focused on high-quality education. By giving more control to the universities and involving more people from the academic world, the government hopes to improve teaching, research, and overall performance.
With this new law, the Odisha government is taking a big step to modernize higher education and give students a better future.
