BHUBANESWAR: Staff of public universities under the Higher Education department cannot be treated as government employees, the state government has clarified.

In a letter addressed to vice-chancellors of state public universities, the Higher Education department stated that their employees are governed by the Odisha Universities Act,1989, the Odisha University First Statutes, 1990, the Odisha University Recruitment and Promotion of Non-Teaching Employees’ Rules, 1991, the Odisha Revised Scale of Pay (ORSP) Rules for University Teachers,2010, and other related regulations framed from time to time.

“Such employees do not hold civil posts under the state government and, therefore, are not to be treated as government employees,” the department has pointed out. It further stated that although universities function within the broader policy framework of the state government and receive grant-in-aid and other support from the government, the service conditions of university employees will continue to be governed by the relevant statutory provisions applicable to universities.

The letter also clarified that new schemes, guidelines, rules, resolutions, circulars or office memoranda introduced by the state government for its employees will not automatically apply to employees of state public universities. The department will separately examine such matters and issue specific orders or guidelines wherever implementation for university employees is considered necessary, the DHE stated.

The department also said that it reserves the right to issue further directions in this regard and asked all universities to adhere to the clarification.