Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2026 came into force in the state following the assent of Governor and Chancellor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati.

The Act was enacted after the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill, 2026 was passed in the Assembly recently.

With the Governor’s approval, the legislation has now been implemented statewide, marking a significant step in reforming the higher education system in Odisha.

Expressing gratitude to the Governor, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj described the Act as a landmark initiative that will ensure adequate representation of Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) in the higher education sector.

The minister stated that the Act introduces a major shift in the reservation system by treating each university as a single unit for the purpose of implementing reservation in faculty recruitment. This replaces the earlier department-wise reservation system.

Govt had appointed VCs for 14 varsities recently

Under the new framework, reservation will be applied in the direct recruitment of faculty positions, including Professors, Associate Professors, and Assistant Professors, thereby ensuring equitable representation of reserved categories across universities.

“The state government has recently appointed Vice Chancellors for 14 public universities in Odisha. Senior academicians have been appointed as VCs. These appointments are expected to strengthen the academic ecosystem in the state,” said the minister.

He expressed confidence that under the leadership of the newly-appointed VCs, universities will focus on delivering quality and research-oriented higher education.

“With the implementation of Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2024 and the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act, 2026, the process of filling vacant teaching positions in state public universities will be expedited,” stated the minister.