BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), the lone agri-varsity of the state, is functioning without several regular faculty members with many top posts such as deans of different colleges lying vacant and being additionally held by seniors.
Six of the 19 posts of deans in the university and its constituent colleges are vacant for the past two years. Top posts lying vacant and being additionally held by others are — dean of PGF-cum-DRI, dean of College of Forestry, dean of College of Fisheries, Bhubaneswar, dean of College of Agriculture, Bhawanipatna, and dean of College of Agriculture, Chiplima.
The College of Agriculture in Bhubaneswar is functioning with half of its faculty strength, according to a self-study report submitted by the university to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) last year.
As per data, 38 posts out of a sanctioned strength of 105 faculty members are empty in the college. Eight posts of professors are vacant, while 12 posts of associate professors and 18 posts of assistant professors are yet to be filled. The university in its ICAR report has admitted that except in colleges of veterinary sciences and agricultural engineering in Bhubaneswar, other colleges do not have enough faculty strength. OUAT vice-chancellor Pravat Kumar Roul said the university is taking steps to fill the top posts and other faculty positions. “We are engaging guest faculties to manage the academics,” he said.
The move by the university to engage guest faculty and retirees to run academics at the varsity and at its constituent colleges has brought resentment among regular faculty members as well as fresh candidates.
“The university should rotate faculty members instead of keeping a person in the same post and place till retirement. This way, the positions will be filled at required place and time and the faculties will get a wider exposure,” said a faculty member requesting anonymity.
Last year, four constituent colleges of OUAT lost their accreditation due to inadequate infrastructure and faculty shortage. They were College of Horticulture, Chipilma, College of Agriculture, Bhawanipatna, College of Fisheries, Rangeilunda, and College of Community Science, OUAT, Bhubaneswar.
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