Dr. Ajit Kumar Shasany Assumes Charge as CUO Vice-Chancellor

Koraput: Dr Ajit Kumar Shasany, former Director of CSIR‑National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), has formally taken charge as the Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Odisha (CUO).

His appointment was notified on July 2, 2026, by the President of India, and he joined on August 6 for a five‑year term.

Dr Shasany succeeds Prof. N.C. Panda, Dean of Schools and Head of the Department of Sanskrit, who had been serving as acting Vice-Chancellor.

The handover ceremony was attended by Registrar‑in‑Charge Dr Sanjay Kumar Pradhan, Finance Officer Duryodhan Sethy, and other officials.

After assuming charge, Dr Shasany interacted with students, research scholars, and faculty members.

A distinguished scientist and academic administrator, he has previously led NBRI, ICAR‑National Institute for Plant Biotechnology (New Delhi), and served as Chief Scientist at CSIR‑CIMAP, Lucknow.

Established under the Central Universities Act, 2009, CUO was created to expand access to higher education in underserved regions.

University officials expressed confidence that Dr Shasany’s expertise in scientific research, innovation, and academic leadership will strengthen CUO’s teaching, research, and outreach activities.