Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill passed after marathon debate, Assembly adjourned sine die

Bhubaneswar, April 3: The Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill was passed in the state Assembly early Thursday morning after an intense 12-hour-long debate between the ruling party and opposition. The bill was cleared in the House at around 4:30 AM, marking a significant development in the state's education sector.

Following the passage of the bill, the budget session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die, three days ahead of schedule. The Assembly proceedings, which had commenced at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, continued non-stop until 7:05 AM on Thursday, making it one of the longest debates in recent times.

After the bill was passed, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj hailed it as a landmark decision, stating that it would usher in a new era in Odisha’s education system. He also expressed gratitude to all Assembly members for their participation in the discussion.

The ruling BJP had proposed 18 amendments to the bill, out of which 12 faced stiff opposition from the BJD, with MLA Arun Sahoo questioning its legitimacy. Several senior MLAs, including Ranendra Pratap Swain, Ganeswar Behera, and Dhruba Sahoo, spoke against the bill, while Suryabanshi Suraj strongly defended it.

Notably, Chief Minister Mohan Majhi remained present throughout the marathon debate, underscoring the bill’s significance for the state's higher education reforms.