Odisha: Increasing retirement age of college teachers to 62, other recommendations of Assembly Standing Committee on Edu

The committee has also called for the framing of a policy for the transfer of teaching and non-teaching staff of government as well as aided colleges
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)
Picture for representational purpose only | (Pic: Express)

To deal with the large-scale vacancies in faculty posts, it is the recommendation of the Assembly Standing Committee on Education that the retirement age of college teachers should be increased to 62 in Odisha.

It may be noted that the current age of retirement for faculty members in higher educational institutions in Odisha is 60. While, a few years back, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had increased the retirement age of faculty members from 62 to 65, and as many as 18 States have already adopted it, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

It was the recommendation of the committee that keeping in mind the vacancies in degree colleges and higher secondary schools that are yet to be filled, the existing retirement age limit of faculty members be increased to 62. While 772 posts are vacant in higher secondary schools, over 600 assistant professor positions and an equal number of professor posts are vacant in degree colleges.

More pointers 
Apart from this, the committee also asked the department to open a regular cadre of principals for government and aided colleges. As of now, senior professors are in-charge principals in 1,200 degree colleges, including 49 government. As a result, they are unable to take important decisions related to infrastructure and other development work that is required in colleges.

When grants are concerned, the panel said steps should be taken to bring the colleges, which are already receiving 100 per block grant, into the grant-in-aid fold. Besides, it asked the department to amend the Odisha Education Act to provide for the withdrawal of grant-in-aid from individual employees whose performance has been or is detrimental to the interest of the colleges.

Similarly, holding tax on colleges and universities that are not covered under the government's block grant scheme should be exempted. Electricity charges will be subsidised for all institutions that are not covered under the block grant.

The committee has also called for the framing of a policy for the transfer of teaching and non-teaching staff of government as well as aided colleges.

The Standing Committee presented its report on scrutiny of demand for grants for the year 2022-23 relating to the Higher Education department in the Assembly last month.

After receiving the recommendations of the committee, the Higher Education department on Friday, August 12, asked the officials concerned to submit an action taken report to it by September 15.

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