Addressing Faculty Shortages in Higher Education: UGC Urges Timely Recruitment in Universities and Colleges

As of April 1, 2023, the Ministry of Education revealed that there are 5,825 vacant teaching positions and 15,390 non-teaching positions in central universities. However, under the current mission-mode recruitment drive, the ministry has successfully filled over 4,000 teaching posts and 1,500 non-teaching posts. The vacancies arise due to factors such as retirements, resignations, and the growing number of students enrolling in various central universities, as stated by Subhas Sarkar, the minister of state for education, in a written response to Lok Sabha.

The education ministry, along with the University Grants Commission (UGC), is actively collaborating with the central universities to enhance and smoothen the recruitment process, as stated by the minister. However, it’s important to note that central universities, being autonomous entities established under Acts of Parliament, bear the responsibility of appointing candidates to these positions. Sarkar mentioned that the education ministry has issued directives to both the UGC and the central universities to expedite the recruitment process and fill the vacant posts under the mission mode.

Previously, the UGC had issued a directive to all states and union territories, urging them to promptly fill the vacant faculty positions in universities and colleges. In a letter addressed to the secretaries and higher education councils of each state and UT, the UGC secretary emphasized the crucial role of faculty members in ensuring the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. The letter stressed the significance of timely recruitment of “eligible and competent” faculty to address the shortage in higher education institutions (HEIs). The UGC urged the HEIs to take appropriate measures for the swift appointment of professors to overcome this shortage.

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