Odisha Government Plans Amendment to University Act

The Odisha government has announced plans to amend the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020, originally enacted by the previous BJD government, as confirmed by Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj. This decision follows discussions with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and aims to address concerns regarding the autonomy of public universities and the recruitment of teaching staff, which have been criticized for deviating from UGC regulations. Suraj assured that issues relating to the appointment of vice-chancellors and faculty will be resolved with the upcoming amendments. Additionally, he emphasized plans to establish government degree colleges in districts lacking them, and announced the introduction of a new financial assistance scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The minister also stated that the government would not allocate budgetary provisions for the prior scholarship scheme initiated by the BJD government. This move has been met with scrutiny from various stakeholders, highlighting the contentious nature of higher education governance in the state.