14 of 17 Odisha Govt Universities Functioning Without Regular Vice-Chancellors

Bhubaneswar: Fourteen of Odisha’s 17 government universities are currently operating without regular Vice-Chancellors, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed the Assembly on Friday.

Replying to a question from BJP MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, the minister said several key universities have been functioning with vacant top leadership posts for months, with some positions lying unfilled for over a year.

According to data tabled in the House, Khallikote University has been without a regular Vice-Chancellor since July 2023, while the post at Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University has remained vacant since October 2023.

The vacancies continued through 2024 as well. Utkal University, Gangadhar Meher University and Rama Devi Women’s University have had no regular Vice-Chancellor since October 2024.

In 2025, Odia University has been without a Vice-Chancellor since August, while the positions have remained vacant at Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo University and Fakir Mohan University since July. Vikram Deb University has had no Vice-Chancellor since August, and the top posts at Law University and Rajendra University have been lying vacant since April. Ravenshaw University, one of the state’s premier institutions, has been functioning without a regular Vice-Chancellor since March 2025.

The widespread vacancies, the minister noted, have raised serious concerns over administrative continuity, academic governance, and effective decision-making across Odisha’s higher education system.