40 pc teaching positions vacant in Central varsities

Nearly 40 per cent of faculty positions in 39 Central Universities across the country continue to be vacant against the sanctioned posts, notwithstanding the tall claims of the government.

The Central Universities, set up under a law by Parliament, continue to function with acute shortage of teachers even as over 1.50 lakh candidates with basic essential qualifications for the posts, according to sources in the Human Resources Development Ministry (HRD), are unemployed in the job market of the country.

Karnataka Central University, which was established in 2009, is still functioning with 23 faculties out of a total 56 approved and sanctioned posts. “The process of recruitment for the balance 33 teaching posts has been initiated and is under way,” Assistant Registrar Veeranna Kammar told Deccan Herald.

The process of appointing faculties at the university will be completed by month-end, he said. According to the HRD Ministry, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had, initially, approved 140 teaching positions in the Eleventh Five Year Plan period for 20 departments, with seven positions sanctioned for each department at Karnataka Central University.

“This figure is relevant only in case where the university actually establishes a department and is not the total sanctioned position as such, Kammar said. The university has so far initiated only eight departments since its establishment.

The university is now functioning from its temporary premises. The vacant positions are to be filled in the future as and when new departments are established. This will be possible only when the university has adequate physical infrastructure and when it shifts to a permanent campus.

Even Delhi University has a large number of faculty positions vacant. The UGC had sanctioned a total of 1,998 faculty positions for the university, out of which 990 posts are vacant, according to figure with the HRD ministry.

“Universities are reminded repeatedly to fill the vacant posts but they appoint temporary or guest faculties on contract to meet their immediate requirement. More than 1.50 candidates with basic qualification for the posts are unemployed in the country. Out of them, about 85, 000 are PhD holders while some 80,000 are NET qualified, ”a senior official of the ministry said.

The UGC, while approving the non-plan budget estimates for the year 2011-12, had requested all the central universities to fill the teaching posts at the earliest.
Further, in order to meet the situation arising out of shortage of teachers, the age of superannuation for teachers in central educational institutions has been enhanced to 65 years.

Besides, subject to availability of vacant positions and fitness, teachers are eligible for re-employment on contract appointment beyond the age of 65 years up to the age of 70 years. “Vacancy is a dynamic process and is due to number of reasons that includes retirement, resignation, death and deputation,” the official added.