The Odisha state cabinet, in a significant move aimed at standardising recruitment and promoting social justice, has approved the promulgation of an ordinance to introduce a uniform reservation policy for teacher appointments across all public universities in the state.
Cabinet Nod for Standardised Framework
The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, which was chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. The council of ministers gave its approval for the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Ordinance, 2025. Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja explained that the ordinance aims to establish a single, standardised reservation framework for the direct recruitment of teachers in all state-run universities.
This legislative action was necessitated because the state assembly is currently not in session. The government had earlier this month approved a proposal to introduce a bill on the same matter, but the ordinance route was chosen to implement the reform immediately.
Ending Department-Wise Quota System
The most pivotal change introduced by the new ordinance is the treatment of a university as a single unit for implementing reservation in faculty recruitment. This marks a fundamental shift from the existing department-wise reservation practice.
Under the old system, reservation percentages were applied separately within each academic department, leading to a fragmented process. The new system will apply reservation norms across the entire university for the recruitment of professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. Officials state this will create a more predictable and equitable process.
Ensuring Transparency and Broader Impact
The ordinance mandates the use of a post-based roster for each teacher cadre. This measure is designed to ensure uniformity, transparency, and clarity in how reservation norms are applied across different institutes.
State government officials believe this overhaul will have several positive outcomes. It is expected to significantly improve the representation of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC), and other eligible groups within the teaching faculty of public universities.
Furthermore, the move will align Odisha's university recruitment practices with emerging national standards, reducing the administrative complexities and potential inconsistencies that arose from performing separate reservation calculations at the department level. The government has stated that this step reinforces its commitment to fairness, transparency, and social justice in higher education while actively working to strengthen institutional diversity across its public universities.
