Odisha varsities grapple with faculty crisis, over 1300 professor positions lying vacant

Odisha's education sector is facing a significant challenge as more than 1,300 professor seats are lying vacant across 17 state universities in the state. Higher Education Minister Surjyabanshi Suraj revealed the staggering figures in the State Assembly during the Budget session following a query posed by MLA Aravind Mahapatra.

The universities, confronted with this shortage, are using guest faculty to fulfill teaching requirements. A total of 963 guest lecturers are presently engaged in these institutions. 

In a glaring example, Utkal University has employed 59 guest lecturers while Ravenshaw University utilises 89. In Sambalpur University, 64 guest teachers are active, and Rajendra University relies on 113 guest lecturers.

Other universities in the state face similar challenges. Vikram Deb University has 78 guest faculty members, Gangadhar Meher University employs 61, Khallikote University enlists 63, and Ramadevi University has 81 guest lecturers on board.

As per the Minister, Utkal University requires a total of 136 professors, Ravenshaw has 157 positions vacant, Khallikote University requires 112, Rajendra University is short by 106, and Dharanidhar University has 111 vacancies, totaling a staggering 1307 vacancies across all the universities in the state.

The prolonged faculty shortage in Odisha's universities poses significant long-term challenges for the state's higher education system. It threatens to undermine the quality of education, research output, and the overall academic reputation of these institutions. 

Meanwhile, concerns are being raised about the impact on student learning outcomes, particularly in specialized fields and research-oriented programs.