Karnataka govt mulling deputing experienced degree college teachers to universities

Bengaluru: The state government is mulling deputing experienced lecturers from state-run degree colleges to fill vacancies in the postgraduate departments at the 32 government universities.

Sources said that the government was looking to depute teachers to universities for a five-year period. The state government is reportedly keen on fixing the many lacunae in the higher education system, and one of its top priorities is to address the problem of shortage of teachers. To that end, the government is thinking of promoting experienced lecturers from degree colleges as professors, and deputing them to universities.

“The Higher Education Department will compile a list of eligible lecturers across subjects, which will be presented to the varsities. The universities can then submit a formal request for a specific number of professors to be deputed to their respective institutions. Besides benefitting the students, this will enable degree college professors to evolve into serious academics,” said a source in the Higher Education Department.

Furthermore, deputation to universities will markedly increase the chances of professors being considered for the post of Vice-Chancellors. In fact, only recently, the State Government Degree College Teachers’ Association had complained to the State Education Policy Commission about being overlooked as contenders for the post of Vice-Chancellors in favour of university professors. The commission subsequently allowed for degree college teachers to be considered candidates for the Vice-Chancellor’s post.

“Deputation to universities will give degree college professors the opportunity to become principals, even Vice-Chancellors,” the source added.

Given that most of the state-run universities have not recruited faculty since 2007, they are grappling with an acute shortage of professors, tiding over the crisis by leaning on the services of guest lecturers.