UUTA OPPOSES ODISHA UNIVERSITY (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 2020

Bureau,Odishabarta

BHUBANESWAR:The general body of Utkal University Teachers’ Association (UUTA) met online today to discuss the new move of the state government amending the Odisha University Act 1989 through an ordinance published in the Odisha Gazette on 4th September 2020. Seventy Two faculty members  ofUtkal University participated in the meeting unanimously considered the new ordinance misleading and detrimental to the prospects of higher education in the state. The members of UUTA have also unanimously appreciated the position of the teachers’ associations in Ravenshaw university, Berhampur university, Sambalpur University and other universities in the State for their appraisal of the amendment. UUTA resolved that a Joint Action Committee would be formed to take this issue forward with the policy makers at both state and the national level and would make every effort to uphold the autonomy of the university system in the State.

The new ordinance has clearly made attempts to reduce the space for functional autonomy of the universities by shifting the responsibility of the recruitment of teachers to Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) and non-teaching staff to the Service Selection Board. Again, the Senate system of accountability and transparency has been abolished in the new ordinance. In a dangerous attempt to undermine the benefits of the unitary university systems like the Ravenshawuniversity, the new ordinance has repealed the Ravenshaw University Act and brought the university under the purview of the ordinance. The members of UUTA feel that such a move by the government is undemocratic and is an unwarranted disruption of the systems that have been serving the higher education in the state for last several decades.

While, the changes such as increasing the tenure of the Vice Chancellors from three to four years and enhancing the age limit for Vice Chancellors from 65 to 67 years are welcome, these seem meaningless when the overall age of superannuation of teachers has not increased in the state. Moreover, proposed bureaucratic control even over the appointment of the vice chancellors is something which needs reconsideration.

UUTA appeals the government to repeal the new ordinance and sought for reconciling the earlier Act with the UGC guidelines for recruitment of teachers and officers of the university.