1,298 teaching posts to be filled in govt colleges

The State government will fill 1,298 vacant teaching posts soon in its first grade colleges. The posts will be filled based on merit through a Common Entrance Test conducted by Karnataka Examinations Authority, Minister for Tourism and Higher Education R V Deshpande said on Saturday.

He said the special feature of this initiative is that there will be no interview and the appointments will be made on the basis of marks alone. The government (Finance department) has approved the filling of 856 teaching posts. The department also plans to establish ‘smart classrooms’ in all the colleges. On a pilot basis, smart classrooms will be set up in 50 first grade colleges, the minister said. In a plan to make the colleges tech savvy, the government is providing Wi-Fi in about 100 of them across the State.

Infosys has agreed to give in-house training to placement co-ordinators in the placement cells, Deshpande said. This training commenced on November 17.

The government will equip 10 state-run engineering colleges with lab equipment, furniture, reference books, etc, for which Rs 36.18 crore has been allocated. In addition, Rs 58.82 crore has been set aside for construction of 18 new polytechnic college buildings.