Cuttack, Dec 6: The Orissa High Court has instructed the Odisha government to urgently initiate the regular recruitment of assistant professors for medical colleges across the state.
In a ruling issued on December 3, Justice S. K. Panigrahi directed the government to expedite the process of filling over 180 vacant positions through the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
The court strongly criticized the state’s reliance on appointing assistant professors on a contractual basis in government medical colleges, describing the practice as “unsustainable.”
It emphasized that these academic posts should be filled through regular appointments to maintain the integrity and stability of both the academic and medical systems in Odisha.
This decision came in response to a petition filed by Dr. Rakesh Kumar Ludam, a Medical Officer with the Odisha Medical and Health Service (OMHS) cadre. Dr. Ludam had been working as an assistant professor in the Anaesthesiology Department at MKCG Medical College in Berhampur under a four-year contractual arrangement.
The court’s judgment aims to address the long-standing issue of ad-hoc recruitment practices in the state’s medical education sector.
Currently, the Odisha government has been filling teaching positions on a temporary basis through contractual appointments or deputations of OMHS cadre medical officers, as a stopgap solution to meet the National Medical Council (NMC) requirements. However, the court's ruling underscores the need for permanent, structured appointments to ensure the sustainability of medical education in the state.
