Bhubaneswar, Nov. 23: Universities across the state will be left with only 20 per cent of the existing faculty in five years unless the Naveen Patnaik government increases the retirement age with immediate effect.

This is likely to create a huge shortage of experienced teachers, unavailability of guides for PhD students and experts for heading various projects undertaken by the universities, according to the Federation of Odisha University Teachers' Association (FOUTA).

The teachers have announced cease work if their demands are not met with immediate effect. They have demanded that their salaries be revised as per the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Teachers from various universities across the state have called for a candle light march on November 30.

While more than 30 per cent of the posts in the universities are lying vacant, another 50 per cent of seats will fall vacant as many of the university teachers will attain the age of 60 and retire by 2020.

"The universities will then be left with only 20 per cent of the total faculty strength," said a teacher.

While most states in the country, including medical colleges, central universities and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), have enhanced the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years, the scene is different in Odisha.

Teachers from Utkal University, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Ravenshaw University, Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), Fakir Mohan University, Berhampur University and North Odisha University expressed their resentment over the dilly-dallying approach of the state government towards implementation of the UGC pay revisions for university teachers. Around 600 professors from different universities are waiting for their promotions.

The revised pay guidelines issued by the UGC in 2010 have not been accepted by the state government. The teachers have also not been promoted under the Career Advancement Scheme as the pay rules are yet to be notified.

"The UGC has developed schemes to attract meritorious students into teaching, but the attitude of the state government is encouraging a reverse trend," said FOUTA convenor S.K. Tripathy.