Bhubaneswar: The state govt has initiated a move to rationalise disciplines and teaching posts in govt engineering schools and polytechnics to improve faculty deployment, address imbalances in staffing and optimise resources in technical education institutes.The skill development and technical education (SD&TE) department has directed the director of technical education and training (DTE&T) to submit a comprehensive proposal on the rationalisation of disciplines and posts under the Odisha Government Polytechnic Teachers’ Service (OGPTS) cadre which are governed by the OGPTS Rules, 2024.In a letter issued on Thursday, SD&TE additional secretary Biswa Ranjan Rath said the proposal should be institution-wise and supported by detailed data and justification for examination by the department and approval by the competent authority.The state currently has nine govt engineering schools offering nearly 4,000 BTech seats and around 35 govt polytechnics with a combined student strength of more than 9,500.The decision follows a series of discussions held at the State Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (SCTE&VT) on restructuring faculty positions and academic disciplines in govt-run technical institutions. Officials said the exercise aims to align staffing patterns with changing enrolment trends, academic requirements and the availability of infrastructure, laboratories and workshop facilities.The rationalisation need also comes amid concerns over vacant seats in certain engineering and diploma programmes, particularly in conventional branches where student demand has declined in the recent years. Officials said maintaining the existing faculty structure despite low enrolment in some disciplines has led to uneven utilisation of teaching resources, while emerging and high-demand sectors often face shortages of specialised faculty.According to the department, DTE&T was earlier asked to conduct a detailed study covering student intake and enrolment trends, faculty strength, infrastructure availability, academic needs and optimum utilisation of human resources. However, no proposal has been received from the directorate so far.Officials said the proposed restructuring is expected to play a key role in future manpower planning and academic reforms in govt technical institutions. The department has sought early action from DTE&T so that the rationalisation plan can be finalised and implemented in a phased manner.
