Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act gets Governor's assent

BHAUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act, 2026, has come into force across the state from Monday, following Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati giving his assent to the new legislation.

The implementation of the new legislation will expedite the process of filling vacant teaching positions in state public universities, said Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.

He said the Act was enacted after the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Bill, 2026, got the nod of the Assembly following extensive discussions that continued late into the night on March 31.

Expressing gratitude to the Governor, Suraj described the Act as a landmark initiative that will ensure adequate representation of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in the higher education sector.

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Reform in Higher Education System; faculty recruitment

This act will bring a significant reform in the state's higher education system, he said. The minister stated that the Act introduces a major shift in the reservation system by treating each university as a single unit for the purpose of implementing reservation in faculty recruitment.

This replaces the earlier department-wise reservation system. Under the new framework, reservations will be applied in the direct recruitment of faculty positions, including Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, thereby ensuring equitable representation of reserved categories across universities.

The minister further said that several long-vacant vice-chancellor posts in state public universities have also been filled recently, with appointments made in 14 universities. Suraj noted that academicians from Odisha have been entrusted with leadership roles, which is expected to strengthen the academic ecosystem in the state.

He expressed confidence that under the leadership of the newly appointed vice-chancellors, universities will focus on delivering quality and research-oriented higher education.