Bhubaneswar, April 15 -- In a significant move towards promoting social equity in higher education, the Odisha State Public Universities (Reservation in Teachers' Cadre) Act 2026 came into effect on Monday. The legislation, which received the formal assent of Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, marks a major shift in how faculty appointments will be made at public universities in Odisha.

The Act, finalized after a rigorous legislative process, was the subject of extensive debate in the State Assembly, which famously stretched into the night on March 31. The new legal framework ensures equitable representation for Scheduled Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) within Odisha's academic i...