A webinar of senior university teachers and academicians on “Odisha Universities Amendment Ordinance-2020" was conducted by the Biswabidyalaya Banchao Abhiyaan on Wednesday.

Vice-Chancellors and intellectuals joined and gave their opinions.  The key speakers included former Vice-Chancellor of Sambapur University Prof MC Das, former Vice-Chancellor of Birla Global University Prof Sudhakar Panda, former Professor of Psychology of JNU Dr Ajit Mohanty, former Professor of Political Science Prof Surya Mishra, former Professor of Philosophy Prof Niranjan Padhi and former DGP Odisha AB Tripathy.The speakers in one mind considered the recent university ordinance as ‘retrogressive’ and may result in transferring universities into an undergraduate college fully controlled by the State Government.

Most of the speakers were also of the opinion that such ordinance is contrary to the well established provisions of Indian Constitution, UGC Act and related Central legislations.Sources also said that intellectuals, academicians and retired Professors are contemplating to move the CM, University Chancellors, Prime Minister and President of India to counter the State Government’s move to restore autonomy soon. Similarly, a well known physicists and former Professor of Physics of Sambalpur University is in favor of initiating a signature drive against the move.

The new ordinance is an attempt to reduce the space for functional autonomy of universities by shifting responsibility of recruitment of teachers to OPSC and a dangerous attempt to undermine benefits of  unitary university systems, it was pointed out.