Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has set a July deadline to recruit 385 Assistant Professors in public universities, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced on Saturday, signalling a push to address longstanding faculty shortages.
"The state government has asked the Odisha Public Service Commission to fill up 385 vacant posts of Assistant Professor in public universities by July this year," the Minister said.
He added that steps are underway to fill nearly 1,400 vacant faculty positions across 17 state-run universities. Recruitment of Vice Chancellors in 13 universities is in the final stage, after which faculty appointments will be expedited.
According to official data, a total of 1,430 faculty posts remain vacant, including 261 Professors, 459 Associate Professors and 710 Assistant Professors. Ravenshaw University in Cuttack has the highest vacancy at 161 posts, while Utkal University in Bhubaneswar has 136 unfilled positions.
The Minister also said the State Selection Board has been directed to fill non-teaching vacancies. As many as 2,286 such posts are currently lying vacant in universities.
The recruitment drive is expected to strengthen academic infrastructure and improve teaching capacity in higher education institutions across the state.