Bhubaneswar: The State cabinet Wednesday has approved promulgation of “The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020” to amend the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 and to repeal the Ravenshaw University Act, 2005.

Ravenshaw University has been established as an unitary university under Ravenshaw University Act, 2005 while Gangadhar Meher University and Khalikot University have been established as unitary universities under Odisha University Act, 1989.

With the promulgation of the ordinance the Ravenshaw University Act, 2005 would be repealed and the university will come under the purview of the single act Odisha University Act, 1989. The important amendments of the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 approved by the Cabinet are given below.
(i) Though Senate is the highest authority of a University, over the years it has become dysfunctional. Therefore, the concept of Senate shall be done away with.
(ii) Henceforth, Syndicate will function as the highest authority of a University. Constitution of the Syndicate will be restructured to make it more functional and professional. In the restructured Syndicate, there will be adequate representation of Hon’ble Chancellor as well as the State Government.
(iii) Tenure of Vice Chancellors shall be enhanced from 3 years to 4 years so that they can make some long-term contribution to the University. leu Val n
(iv) Upper age limit to hold the post of Vice Chancellor shall be enhanced from 65 years to 67 years.
(v) No Vice Chancellor shall be re-appointed as VC of the same University for the second time.
(G) At present, the State Government does not have a say in the 3-member Search Committee, constituted by the Hon’ble Chancellor, for selection of Vice Chancellors. Therefore, an eminent academician, nominated by the State Government, shall be made a member of the Search Committee in place of the nominee of the Syndicate of the University concerned.
6ii) As the concepts of ‘Registered Teachers’ and ‘Registered Graduates’ have become obsolete, they shall be done away with.
(viii) To avoid collective wastage of time and resources, recruitment of teachers in the Universities shall be done centrally by Odisha Public Service Commission.
(ix) To avoid collective wastage of time and resources, recruitment of non-teaching employees in the Universities shall be done centrally by State Selection Board.
(x) The extremely difficult provision of laying voluminous annual audit reports ofall Universities in the Odisha Legislative Assembly shall be done away with. Instead, the annual audit reports shall be made available in the University website for at least 3 years for information ofall