Discontent brewed among students of the Odia University in Satyabadi over the transfer of a lecturer. The students warned of agitation if the issue is not sorted out immediately.
As per reports, a transfer order has been issued for lecturer Ananta Kishore Jena when the university is struggling due to a lack of adequate number of teaching staff.
The institution, which is supposed to have 21 lecturers, has only seven.
Students while staging a protest against the transfer alleged that the university is already short of teaching staff and the transfer of existing staff is only making things worse for them.
Monalisa Moharana, a student lamented, "When we took admission in the university, we had 10 faculties. Three of them have already been shifted from here. There have been no replacements. Today, another lecturer was transferred.”
"We demand immediate withdrawal of the transfer of lecturer Ananta Jena,” she added.
On the other hand, lecturer Ananta Kishore Jena, said, “I have been shunted elsewhere as I refused to do some illegal work which can create trouble for both the university and the government in future. If I sign some documents of an illegal nature, I may face trouble and my pension may be stopped in future. I think the Vice Chancellor might have got my transfer done through the Higher Education department.”
However, Vice Chancellor Sabita Pradhan refused to comment on the matter.