Over 6,600 teaching posts vacant in Central Universities

NEW DELHI: As many as 6,688 faculty positions in central universities are lying vacant, the Ministry of Human Resource Development told Parliament on February 3.

The number of vacant positions went up by 892 in just a year, 2019. As per MHRD data, of the total number of vacancies, around 22 percent are professor-level posts.

In its reply to question in Parliament, the MHRD has claimed that 934 vacant posts have been filled up. However, as a comparison with data presented by the ministry in February last year shows, the teachers strength has only declined further.

Declining numbers

The most recent reply says 6,688 faculty positions are lying vacant, which include 1,483 professor, 2,452 associate professor and 2,753 assistant professor posts.

In February 2019, while replying to a similar question in Rajya Sabha, the ministry had said that out of the 17,546 total sanctioned posts in central universities, 5,796 were vacant, which has now grown to 6,688.

Minister of State for HRD, Arvind Ganpat Sawant in Lok Sabha replied that in recent days, 934 vacant posts have been filled up and advertisements for recruitment to 6,706 posts have been issued in the Central Universities.

New CUs worst sufferers

The newly-established central universities are facing the biggest faculty shortages - of 1,363 posts in 14 of them are vacant, and nearly half of these posts are at the level of assistant professor (653).

One of the major reasons for the increase in the number of vacant positions could be the decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which put all appointments on hold in July 2018 due a court case over the implementation of reservation. The process was opened again in 2019 after the introduction of the 10 percent quota for the economically weaker sections (EWS).

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