“Recruit Regular Asst Professors in Medical Colleges”: Orissa HC Directs Odisha Govt
Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha government to expedite measures for the regular recruitment of assistant professors for medical colleges across the state.
In a ruling issued on December 3, Justice S. K. Panigrahi directed the Odisha government to expedite the process of filling over 180 vacant positions through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
The court slammed the state’s reliance on appointing assistant professors on a contractual basis in government medical colleges, describing the practice as “unsustainable.”
It emphasized that these academic posts should be filled through regular appointments to maintain the integrity and stability of both the academic and medical systems in Odisha.
The court came up with this directive while hearing a petition filed by Dr. Rakesh Kumar Ludam, a Medical Officer with the Odisha Medical and Health Service (OMHS) cadre, who had been working as an assistant professor in the Anaesthesiology Department at MKCG Medical College in Berhampur under a four-year contractual arrangement.
At present, the Odisha government is filling teaching positions on a temporary basis through contractual appointments or deputations of OMHS cadre medical officers. It is a stopgap arrangement to meet the National Medical Council (NMC) guidelines.
