TBN, 20/02/24: Sambalpur University, Odisha’s one of the oldest universities, faces a dire shortage of staff with 45 percentage of teaching and 60 percent of non-teaching positions vacant, reflecting the dismal state of higher education in the region.
Despite its establishment in 1967 to bolster higher education in western Odisha, the university suffers from neglect under Chief Minister Navin Pattayak’s 24-year tenure, as revealed by information obtained through the Right to Information Act.
Shockingly, 71 out of 153 teaching positions and 260 out of 419 non-teaching positions have remained unfilled for a decade, amounting to 60% of vacancies. Critics argue that the government’s focus on superficial events like dance and music programs is a deliberate ploy to divert attention from the pressing issues plaguing the education sector, such as the alarming shortage of professors and lecturers.
Pradip Pradhan, convenor of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan, accuses the government of prioritizing political agendas over educational reform, labeling initiatives like the “Nua ‘O’ programme” as mere election tactics aimed at wooing young voters rather than addressing the systemic flaws undermining the quality of education.
