Govt warns professors of compulsory retirement for dereliction of duty

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has warned professors and college lecturers of compulsory retirement for dereliction of duty. In an aims to improve educational quality, the government has directed all government-affiliated universities and colleges to identify non-performing faculty for premature retirement by January 31, 2026.

The teachers who were found to be failing in teaching, or meet performance expectations, then they will be relieved from their post under compulsory premature retirement, strictly in accordance with the provisions of the relevant service rules and government guidelines in force.

A formal notice notifying about the directive was dispatched on January 13 to registrars, principals at degree colleges, heads of higher secondary schools, and universities. The letter informed, “All concerned authorities are requested to carefully examine the service records, performance appraisal reports, integrity status, and overall conduct of college teachers working under the administrative control of Higher Education Department and identify such cases which may warrant consideration for compulsory premature retirement, strictly in accordance with the provisions of the relevant service rules and government guidelines in force,” illustrating a comprehensive and demanding staff assessment process.

The notice has specified that the report should be submitted by January 31, 2026.

As per the directives of Higher Education Department Joint Secretary Mousumi Nayak, all educational institutions have been asked to verify the complete reports of the teachers working under them. Criteria guidelines have been fixed to identify incompetent teachers. They will be assessed on the basis of their quality of teaching per year and their conduct and integrity, cooperation in administrative work and others.

This move aims to enhance academic standards and keep administration effective across Odisha’s higher education sector.

The correspondence notes, “This is being done in the interest of maintaining academic standards and administrative efficiency,” reflecting an explicit aim of upholding educational standards. Compliance reports are expected to be substantiated and thorough, with reliance on documented evidence and established review practices.”

The government stated that corrupt and inefficient teachers put a negative impact on the future of students. According to the Odisha Service Rules (OSR), the government can prematurely retire any incompetent employee in the public interest. The department has clarified that this process should be completely transparent and there should be necessary documents or evidence for this.

Following these instructions, higher education establishments across Odisha have begun detailed assessments of their faculty as prescribed by the government.