Dikhyaa Mohanty 
There is a severe staffing shortfall at Utkal University, as evidenced by the fact that more than 55% of the approved professor jobs are still open. Suryabanshi Suraj, the minister of higher education, claims that just 105 of the 238 approved faculty jobs in various departments have been filled, leaving 133 open seats. In a written response to a question posed by BJD MLA Prasanta Behera (Salipur) during the Odisha Assembly session on Friday, he stated that the departments of business administration and psychology are experiencing the greatest shortage, with 10 openings apiece.
There is also a serious lack of non-teaching staff at the university. Just 189 of the 502 approved non-teaching roles are filled, leaving 620 open. Following instructions from the State government, the institution is hiring retired faculty members and guest faculty to help with the faculty shortfall. 58 members of the Guest Faculty have been hired thus far. Additionally, an outsourcing company has hired 87 non-teaching employees to oversee day-to-day operations.
The Odisha University Bill, 2024 draft that was given to the Assembly has been approved by the Odisha Cabinet. The minister went on to say that if this law is passed, it would make it easier for colleges around the state to hire academics and staff on a regular basis.
