SC puts Odisha Universities Amendment Act on hold for 3 months, seeks Odisha govt reply

The Supreme Court on Friday put Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act on hold for three months while seeking reply from the Odisha government. The next hearing on the matter will be after two months.

Orissa High Court had earlier given a clean chit by upholding the validity of the Act. However, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and a professor had moved the apex court challenging the decision of the HC.

Earlier, the UGC had in its affidavit said that the Act was in conflict with the UGC Regulation-2018 issued under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

However, the State Higher Education Department claimed that the stand of UGC is limited to the Amendment Act while dealing with the appointment of vice-chancellors and other teaching staff of varsities.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Act has been in the limelight after it seeks to bring appointments to important academic and administrative posts in universities under the State government control.