Bhubaneswar, 3 April (H.S.):The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill 2024 was passed in the State Assembly in the early hours of Thursday, following a lengthy and intense debate that lasted for over 12 hours. The session, which concluded at approximately 4:29 am, saw a significant exchange of views between the ruling party and the Opposition.

Senior MLAs from the Opposition, including Ranendra Pratap Swain, Arun Sahoo, Ganeswar Behera, and Dhruba Sahoo, strongly opposed the bill. Their opposition was met with counterarguments from Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, who defended the proposed amendments.

The debate saw active participation from several MLAs and Ministers of the ruling party. MLA Arun Sahoo, in particular, spoke against the bill while Ranendra Pratap Swain and Ganeswar Behera also spent significant time voicing their objections. On the other hand, Minister Suraj countered the Opposition’s arguments for about an hour, and several BJP leaders also joined in to defend the bill.

After an exhaustive debate, the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill 2024 was successfully passed in the Assembly. Following the bill’s passage, Minister Suraj expressed his optimism, stating that the new legislation would mark the beginning of a new era in education for the state. He also thanked all members of the Assembly for their participation.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi was present throughout the marathon session, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida. However, Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik was notably absent during the proceedings.

Despite the passing of the bill, some members of the Opposition, particularly MLA Arun Sahoo, voiced strong disapproval. Sahoo criticized the government, arguing that the bill had been introduced in a hasty manner. The University Act was initially enacted in 1989, and it was only amended in 2020 by the previous BJD government. Since the University Grants Commission (UGC) has moved the Supreme Court over the 2020 amendment, the validity of the Odisha Universities Bill will soon be reviewed by the Apex Court, Sahoo said.

BJP MLA Irasis Acharya, however, praised the bill, asserting that it would bring about a revolution in Odisha’s education sector. With the passing of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill 2024, democracy has been further strengthened in the Odisha Assembly under the leadership of the BJP. This bill will usher in revolutionary changes in the field of education, Acharya stated.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda