Opposition hails SC stay on Odisha Universities Act

BHUBANESWAR: The Supreme Court stay on the order of the Orissa High Court upholding the validity of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 has come as a shot in the arm of the Opposition which had vehemently opposed the Bill in the Assembly. Hailing the apex court order, senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra told this paper that he had cautioned the State government that the amended law will not stand the scrutiny of law as several provisions of Act are unconstitutional.

Mishra said that the State government did not place its records straight before the Orissa High Court. Many important points of the Act were not mentioned to the High Court as a result of which the court upheld its validity. “I am sure that some of the provisions of the amended Act will be repealed by the apex court,” he added. Maintaining that the universities will completely lose their autonomy, the senior Congress leader said, if the university has to seek the permission of the government for purchase of stationery items and if the State government will decide the courses of study, then how can the institution have autonomy.

The day the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed, Mishra had described it as a ‘Black Bill’.Welcoming the Supreme Court stay order, BJP State general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar said the amended Act is illegal and a clear cut violation of UGC guidelines.“The State government has no business to interfere in the affairs of the universities. It has made an attempt to squeeze the power of the vice-chancellor and chancellor,” she remarked.

The BJP leader said that her party had made strong protests against the Bill in the Assembly and even boycotted the debate.“The nefarious design of the State government to control institutions of higher learning has failed miserably. The Odisha government should immediately cancel all illegal appointments made during this period,” she tweeted. After four days of intense debate and demand to send the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to a select committee, the State government had passed the controversial legislation in the Assembly amid strong protests from the Opposition.