Odisha Enforces Reservation Law for University Teachers; Governor Gives Assent

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has officially enforced the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2026 after receiving assent from Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, marking a major reform in faculty recruitment across state-run universities.

The legislation follows the passage of the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2026 in the Assembly on March 31 after detailed deliberations.

Calling it a landmark step, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said the Act is aimed at ensuring adequate representation of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in the higher education sector.

One of the key highlights of the new law is the shift from a department-wise reservation system to a university-as-a-unit model for implementing quotas in teaching posts. Under the revised system, reservation provisions will apply to direct recruitment across all faculty positions, including Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors.

The Minister stated that the reform is expected to bring greater equity and balanced representation across universities, addressing long-standing concerns over uneven implementation of reservation policies.

Highlighting recent developments, Suraj said Vice-Chancellor positions in 14 state public universities have been filled, with academicians from Odisha appointed to key roles. He expressed confidence that the new leadership would help strengthen academic standards and promote research-driven education.

He further added that the implementation of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2024, along with the new reservation law, is expected to speed up the recruitment process and fill long-pending teaching vacancies in public universities.