Bhubaneswar: Even as the Odisha government is pressing ahead to raise quality education in the state, non-availability of professor-rank teachers in Mathematics at state degree colleges indicates the sorry state of affairs in the state’s higher education.
This was revealed when the state government was found unable to find a professor rank teacher in Mathematics to be appointed as Director at the Institute of Mathematics & Applications (IMA) in Bhubaneswar.
“I would like to inform you that there are no professor-rank Mathematics teachers at state government colleges or aided colleges,” Higher Education Secretary Saswat Mishra wrote to Science & Technology secretary DK Singh.
Mishra suggested the science & technology department issue an all-India advertisement inviting applications from eligible and interested professors of Mathematics working in any universities (including private), degree colleges, engineering colleges, to apply for the said post. Commenting on this, educationist Pritish Acharya said, “Not only Mathematics, there is a scarcity of professor rank teachers in almost all major subjects in the state. The government should take immediate steps to fill up the gap. Otherwise, how can we provide quality education to our youths?”