Bhubaneswar: The Language Movement, Odisha, has urged the state government to ensure transparency and higher academic standards in the recruitment of Odia language teachers.
The organisation has raised concerns over the eligibility criteria set by the Odisha Staff Selection Commission (OSSC), warning that the current system could compromise the quality of language education in the state.
As per the government’s cabinet decision on February 7, 2024, 1,500 Odia teachers were to be appointed in the first phase, with plans to extend the recruitment to all high schools across Odisha.
However, the initial notification for the recruitment of 6,025 teachers (IIE-63/2024/4034/OSSC, dated October 9, 2024) did not include any Odia teacher posts.
Following criticism, OSSC issued a revised notification (IIE-63/2024/37/OSSC, dated January 2, 2025), reserving 25 percent of the Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) posts for Odia language teachers.
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While welcoming the inclusion of Odia teacher posts, the organisation objected to the eligibility requirement that allows candidates who have studied Odia as an elective subject worth only 200 marks at the graduation level.
They argued that this criterion is inadequate to assess language proficiency and academic depth. Under the New Education Policy (NEP), Odia as an honours subject now carries 1,500 marks in a three-year degree course and 2,300 marks in a four-year degree course, making the 200-mark standard outdated and insufficient.
The Language Movement further pointed out that language teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Model Schools undergo a minimum of three years or five to six semesters of specialised education, and a similar model should be followed in Odisha.
Convenor Puruth Maharatha, along with members Jankish Badapanda, Sagar Satpati, Sarada Prasad Mohapatra, Nilamani Mishra, Manoj Nayak, and representatives of the Odia Samman Students’ Congress, called on the state government to revise the recruitment criteria and adopt the standards used in Central and Model Schools to ensure the appointment of qualified and competent Odia language teachers.
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