Odisha's Governor Appoints New Vice-Chancellors Amidst Opposition Protests

In a significant move, Odisha's Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati has appointed new vice-chancellors for 14 state-run universities. This decision comes in the wake of protests from the opposition party, BJD, which criticized the government for delays in filling these crucial positions. The newly appointed VCs are expected to enhance the educational landscape in Odisha, focusing on research and innovation. The appointments were made after a lengthy vacancy period, raising concerns about administrative efficiency in the state's higher education system. Read on to learn more about the new leadership and the implications for Odisha's universities.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 6, 2026, 22:09 IST

New Leadership for Odisha's Universities

Bhubaneswar: On Monday, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati announced the appointment of new vice-chancellors for 14 universities across Odisha.

Chandi Prasad Nanda has been designated as the vice-chancellor of Utkal University, while Santosh Kumar Tripathy will lead Fakir Mohan University. Additionally, Arka Kumar Das Mohapatra has been appointed as the VC of Ravenshaw University.

Other institutions receiving new leadership include Khallikote Unitary University in Berhampur and Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University in Puri.

In a social media update, Kambhampati expressed optimism that these new VCs would enhance education, research, and innovation, thereby positively impacting the future of higher education in Odisha.

This announcement came shortly after the opposition party, BJD, threatened significant protests statewide due to the prolonged vacancies in the VC positions.

The BJD criticized the government for what they termed administrative paralysis in the universities, citing that the recruitment advertisement for VCs was released nearly nine months ago without any appointments being made.