Telangana Hyderabad - Universities grapple with severe faculty shortage
The State's universities are suffering from a severe lack of regular faculty members; the number of open positions is more than double that of the number of employees. Due to a shortage of instructors, especially professors, university schools are finding it difficult to achieve their obligations for research, teaching, and financing from several central funding organizations.
Eleven universities' academic concerns paint a dismal image. There are 1,977 open teaching positions out of the 2,825 authorized teaching posts at these universities, which is more than twice as many as the number of employees (873). Nearly 900 teaching staff jobs are unfilled despite osmania university having 1,267 sanctioned vacancies spread over 53 departments. 86 professors at Kakatiya university oversee 27 departments, with a sanctioned strength of 409 faculty members.
Several departments in these institutions are suffering from a shortage of professor-level teaching personnel. There hasn't been a single professor in about 12 or 13 departments at osmania university, including Ancient indian History, culture and Archaeology, Journalism and mass Communication, and Psychology.
Some departments, including Archaeology, French, and German, are exclusively managed by the academic consultants hired on a contractual basis, while other departments are handled by permanent assistant professors and associate professors in addition to contractual workers and guest lecturers. Additionally, Kakatiya university has around ten departments without any teachers. Every year, the institution witnesses the superannuation of at least 20 to 25 professors.
The burden for current instructors has increased significantly as a result of a lack of recruiting. Prof. B. Manohar, president of the OU teachers Association, stated that it is also having an impact on research projects.
The burden for current instructors has increased significantly as a result of a lack of recruiting. Prof. B. Manohar, president of the OU teachers Association, stated that it is also having an impact on research projects.
To temporarily alleviate the academic problem, the previous BRS administration approved hiring for 1,061 positions, including 415 positions at OU. However, a supreme court reservation case prevented the recruiting from happening. After the central government approved an order requiring the university to act as a unit rather than a department for reservations in teaching posts, the issue was resolved.
Additionally, the telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022, enacted by the previous administration, was never implemented since governor Tamilisai Soundararajan forwarded it to the President of India, where it remains unfinished.
Additionally, the telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022, enacted by the previous administration, was never implemented since governor Tamilisai Soundararajan forwarded it to the President of India, where it remains unfinished.
Asst professors on contract seek regularisation
The congress government's pledge to regularise assistant professors employed on contracts was called into question by the telangana Universities Assistant Professors (Contract) Association. "The telangana Universities Assistant Professors (Contract) Association President, dharma Teja, stated that the then-Congress leaders and current Ministers, Bhatti Vikramaka and sridhar Babu, had brought up the issue of regularisation in the assembly but are silent now."
Approximately 1,400 assistant professors have been employed on a contract basis for a number of years by 12 institutions. Similar to contract degree holders, junior and polytechnic teachers who received regularisation, assistant professors too desired regularisation. The association's spokeswoman, Dr. Ch Parandamulu, stated that "the regularisation of assistant professors on a contractual basis is needed to strengthen universities, which have a huge number of vacancies."