Overview
- The governor, who is the chancellor of state universities, issued the appointments Monday hours after BJD youth and student wings threatened statewide protests over the delays.
- New appointees include Chandi Prasad Nanda at Utkal University, Santosh Kumar Tripathy at Fakir Mohan University, and Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra at Ravenshaw University, with posts also filled at 11 other institutions.
- Many universities had run without regular vice-chancellors for one to three years after a lengthy search that began in June 2025 under rules clarified by the Odisha University (Amendment) Act, 2024, which drew about 350 applications.
- Universities had relied on in‑charge heads and short extensions, and the vacancies had stalled research, slowed hiring, and caused exam-related delays that affected students and staff.
- Large gaps in the workforce remain, with 2,117 faculty and 2,500 non-teaching posts still vacant, and regular vice-chancellors now have greater authority than interim heads to push hiring and academic decisions.