On Thursday, The University Grants Commission wrote to Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) and the Higher Education Department. They cited violation of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act (2020), related to UGC teacher recruitment stay.
The Commission has also asked OPSC and Higher Education Department to refrain from any recruitment of teacher/faculty. They emphasized adhering to Supreme Court’s UGC teacher recruitment stay order.
According to sources, UGC has assailed the judgment passed by the Odisha High Court. This judgment had upheld the validity of Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act (2020) through special leave petition. The UGC emphasized the importance of adherence to the stay.
Hearing the petition on May 20, THE Supreme Court had stayed the operation of the impugned judgment for three months. This was amidst the UGC teacher recruitment stay. However, OPSC and Higher Education Department violated the SC rule. They undertook recruitment to the post of assistant professor of Sociology and assistant professor (commerce).
“Since the recruitment of teachers/faculties by the Odisha Public Service Commission and that of non-teaching staff by the State Selection Board is directly in issue in the aforesaid SLPs pending before the Supreme Court, the continuation of the recruitment process will be in the teeth of the stay order dated 20.05.2022 GRANTED BY THE Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the letter read.
“The Odisha Public Service Commission may kindly take note of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order dated 20.05.2022 and refrain from undertaking any further steps for any recruitment of teachers/faculty. This includes in terms of advertisement no. 08 of 2020-21 and/or the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act (2020). The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s UGC teacher recruitment stay order also applies with respect to any recruitment process that commenced prior to the said stay order. The UGC also reserves all its rights to take appropriate legal remedy in this regard,” the letter stated.
Source: OTV
