Sarala Chair in apparent scandal

Roving Reporter

Adikabi Sarala Das Chair of Odia Studies established in JNU with the support of Government of Orissa is simmering into a scandal of post fixation with interview conducted on 14th March for a post of Assistant Professor.

The scandal is apparent, because one Subrat Kumar Prusty , associate of Dr. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak in stealing of the documented report of Orissa Government for classical status of Oriya language, was shortlisted as a candidate in blatant disregard to “the minimum qualifications” stipulated in the advertisement for the post. Nine aspirants had applied out of which four candidates were shortlisted including Prusty. Had the “minimum qualifications” been adhered to, Prusty could never have become a candidate.

One of the “minimum qualifications” is: teaching/research experience of at least 05 years in Odia Language, literature and cultural traditions and social institutions. Another relevant “minimum qualification” is: experience of teaching/guiding research.

Prusty does not possess these “minimum qualifications” so expressly and essentially required for “teaching and research program in Odia Language and cultural traditions and social institutions”. He is “an associate” of Dr. Debi Prasanna Patnaik, who in nexus with Asok Panda and Manoranjan Panigrahi, minister and secretary respectively of Culture, has taken several lakhs of Rupees from the State Exchequer when legally none of them – individually or collectively – is qualified to take the money. The Chair being established with the support of this department controlled by Panda and Panigrahi, Prusty was shortlisted as a candidate for interview under their pressure, a source discloses.

In February 2016 Prusty was rejected in an interview for a lecturer post in Utkal University on the ground that he was neither teaching in any College/University nor was guiding any research in Oriya. On the other hand, he had attracted condemnation in social media for his shameless use of obnoxious words.

Shortlisting him for the highly prestigious and important post of Assistant Professor on the Chair is generating suspicion that the post has been fixed. If Prusty bags the post, there would be no doubt that the same was fixed.

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