Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ‘Mother University’ – the Utkal University – is again hogging limelight for a wrong reason.

The Orissa High Court has issued a show-cause notice on Wednesday to the State’s premier University over the vacant post of Student Ombudsman. But the bigger plot of this Utkal University story is a far more crippling blow is looming from New Delhi.

The top University of the State by failing to comply with the UGC (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023, has placed the hundreds of crores in federal funding at risk of being frozen.

FUND FLOW TO UTKAL FROM UGC

As per data available, the University has been receiving a whopping Rs 50-80 cr central assistance annually, and the whole of amount is linked to implementation of the UGC’s guideline of appointing student’s ombudsman in the institution.

As per the Budget Estimate for 2025-26, Utkal University’s financial survival is tethered to federal and state grants. The Regulation 11 of the UGC 2023 Act is not a mere suggestion; it is a financial guillotine under Regulations 11 of UGC.

The following funds flow linked to Ombudsman appointment is given below.

·        UGC Development Grants – Rs 15-25 cr (Flow linked directly to 12B Status)

·        RUSA/PM-USHA – Rs 20-50 cr (Compliance is prerequisite)

·        Research Project Grant – Rs 10cr

·        Special Component Grant – Rs 5-10cr (non-compliance will lead to immediate stoppage)

 LEGAL VACCUM vs. UGC LIST

​The interesting twist in the Utkal University Ombudsman story is, the University has managed to stay off the "Defaulter List" in prior years, which is evident from the UGC default list given below.

But the Wednesday High Court proceedings reveal that the Ombudsman post has been effectively vacant since 2025. While Sambalpur and Berhampur universities have complied, Utkal—the institution with the state's highest grievance load—is operating without an appellate safety net for its students.

KEY LEGAL ARGUMENTS:

​Mandatory Compliance (Regulation 6): The petitioner argues that under Regulation 6, every university must appoint an Ombudsman. This is not optional. The UGC had specifically directed all universities to do so within 30 days of the notification (back in April 2021). 

​The Gap in Redressal: Currently, Utkal University has a Student Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC), but without an Ombudsman, there is no appellate authority. If a student is unhappy with the SGRC decision, their legal right to appeal is effectively blocked. 

Interestingly, the PIL notes that former Jharkhand HC Chief Justice B.R. Sarangi was appointed in February 2025 but did not join as he moved to the NHRC, which suggests the University administration has not been serious in complying the UGC guideline as it has failed in the preparing a "waiting list" or backup planning to address the important vacancy.

Moreover, as per the petitioner, the University administration in October 2024 has cited the reason of vacancy to be under "active consideration." Now, it is 2026.

WHO WILL BE THE OMBUDSMAN?

Qualifications of the Ombudsman: The law requires a specific profile—a retired Vice-Chancellor, a retired Professor with 10+ years as a Dean, or a former District Judge. 

Tenure: 3 years or until they reach the age of 70 (whichever is earlier). 

​SYSTEMIC ROT: 2024-2025 DEFAULTING CRISIS

​Utkal is not alone, but it is the most prominent casualty. A glance at the UGC defaulter list reveals a massive compliance gap in Odisha’s specialized institutions.

Here are the defaulters list from Odisha by UGC

​The 2024 "Default 11": Major hubs like BPUT (Bhubaneswar), VSSUT (Burla), and OUAT were flagged for having no grievance redressal head.

​The 2025 Persistence: Even as the UGC issued multiple reminders (April 2023, Dec 2023, and Jan 2024), Khallikote University and Utkal University of Culture remained non-compliant.

​HOW IT AFFECTS "STUDENT RIGHTS"

The UGC regulations have clearly defined who is an “aggrieved student.”

It says anyone facing issues including:

·        Admission Irregularities: Delay in admission process or demanding money in excess of specified fees.

·        ​Withholding Documents: Refusal to return certificates or degrees to compel fee payment.

·        ​Discrimination: Any complaint regarding SC/ST, OBC, Women, Minority, or Disabled categories.

·        ​Scholarship Delays: Non-payment or delay in scholarships the institution is committed to providing.

·        ​Unfair Evaluation: Non-transparent practices in exams (though they cannot ask for simple re-totalling unless there is a specific material irregularity).

·        It needs mentioning that when the total of 1412 students who appeared for the final examination in the year 2023-24 (as per the latest data available), the count who has applied for revaluation stood at a whopping 1163.

·        This shows over 82% of the students who appeared for the final examination have applied for revaluation.   

What can an Ombudsman actually do:
The biggest grievance redressal for a student the ombudsman can carry out is intervening in unfair marksheets, besides also redressing library fee disputes, harassment, or irregular admission processes.

Appeal Timeline (Regulation 10): A student must appeal to the Ombudsperson within 15 days of the SGRC decision.

​The Ombudsperson must make "all efforts" to resolve it within 30 days.

ROLE OF STATE GOVT

​As per the UGC regulation detailed in section 5, the Ombudsman in a State University shall be appointed by the university on part-time basis from a panel of three names recommended by the search committee consisting of the following members:

·         nominee of the Governor of the State – Chairman

·        two Vice-Chancellors, by rotation from public universities of the State to be nominated by the State Government – Members

·        one Vice-Chancellor, by rotation from a private university of the State to be nominated by the State Government – Member

·        Secretary (Higher Education) of the State Member-- Convener.

The above mandatory UGC regulation shows that Higher Education Secretary has been the member-convenor of the search committee.

The long-time vacancy for the post of ombudsman in the State’s premier university has also put the glare on the lackadaisical role on the part of Odisha Higher Education Department.

Also Read: Government, Aided Colleges Must Constitute Internal Complaints Committees Within 7 Days: RDE