The Odisha High Court is now monitoring the state government’s efforts to address the critical shortage of teachers in state-run high schools and universities, and has ordered senior officials to submit detailed affidavits on recruitment measures.

The directive comes amid concerns over the government’s reliance on retired teachers and the sidelining of qualified young aspirants.

Court’s dissatisfaction with incomplete reports

On Monday, October 13, Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad expressed frustration over the state government’s partial compliance with a September 23 directive, which had mandated a comprehensive status report on teacher vacancies and recruitment efforts.

The court reviewed two letters from the Directorate of Secondary Education and the Department of Higher Education, dated October 10 and 13, but found them inadequate.

Justice Shripad noted, “The information furnished in these two letters falls short of the requirement to make any positive order in the matter.”

Scale of vacancies revealed

The submitted letters outlined the extent of the teacher shortage:

- Government High Schools: 5,565 vacant teacher posts.

- Fully Aided High Schools: 1,652 vacant posts.

- Newly-Aided (Block Grant) High Schools: 3,538 vacant posts.

- Sanskrit Tolls: 505 vacant posts.

- State Public Universities: Out of 298 sanctioned professor posts, 260 are vacant; out of 591 associate professor posts, 453 are vacant; and out of 2,073 assistant professor posts, 1,404 remain unfilled.

These figures highlight a total of approximately 13,000 vacant teaching positions across Odisha’s educational institutions.

Court orders affidavits from senior officials

To address the shortfall in information, Justice Shripad ordered the chief secretary and the commissioner-cum-secretary to the chancellor of state universities to be added as parties in the case. The court directed both officials to file affidavits by the next hearing on November 10, detailing “what concrete steps have been taken to fill these vacant positions.” The judge issued a stern warning, stating that failure to comply may invite “stringent action” and “bitter criticism.”

Petition sparks debate over guest teacher policy

The court’s actions stem from a petition filed by Arpita Priyadarshini and three other unemployed youth, challenging the state government’s August 1, 2025, notification to appoint 6,387 retired teachers as guest teachers for the 2025-26 academic year in aided, newly-aided high schools, and Sanskrit Tolls.

The petitioners argued that this policy marginalises qualified young candidates, many of whom hold Odisha Secondary School Teacher Eligibility Test (OSSTET) qualifications and BEd degrees.

Government’s defence

The state government defended the guest teacher policy as a temporary measure to prevent classroom disruptions. It assured the court that regular recruitment processes are underway to address the vacancies permanently.