Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Nagpur

NEW DELHI: Most centrally-funded institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and universities, are conducting classes with over one-third faculty positions vacant, prompting the government to launch a major recruitment drive.

Worst hit are new central universities with 53.28% vacancies followed by NITs with 47% teacher vacancies. Old as well as new IITs, too, have over 35% vacancies, human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar said while announcing a major recruitment drive across campuses in the next fortnight.

In an interaction with a small group of journalists, Javadekar said the ministry is also thinking of re-employment and wooing industry experts to fill up teaching vacancies. Concerned over the number of vacancies in faculty positions, Javadekar said institutions will have to at least fill up 75% untenanted posts by the year-end.

Information provided to Parliament by the ministry on August 3, 2017 does not indicate that the situation improved significantly.

While vacancy status for old IITs has been recorded at 39%, new ones are only marginally better at 36%. NITs are worst affected with 47% vacancies. In fact 14 of 20 old NITs have a 40% and more vacancies, while four of eight old IITs have the same vacancy levels. Even Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have 26.01% vacancies. Among the IIMs, Indore has 51% vacant positions, followed by Kolkata with 41%.

Among central universities, central university of Haryana, according to HRD records, is reeling under 75.11% vacancies as on April 1, 2017, while in the same period Delhi University recorded a total of 54.75% vacancies against permanent positions. University of Allahabad too has over 64% vacancies to be filled.

Speaking to TOI, Javadekar said the government is monitoring the recruitment process every month and the universities have already started the recruitment process.

“In Jawaharlal Nehru University, of the 300 vacancies, we have recruited 200 and the rest will be completed soon. Similarly by next month, large number of interviews are to be conducted across Delhi University colleges,” said Javadekar.

“Not only in JNU and DU, but even in the new institutions the recruitment process is under way at a good pace and soon large number of positions will be filled up,” added the minister.

Jadavekar also said the ministry is looking at options of “re-employment of good teachers who have retired” and also roping in industry experts to the teaching profession.

The minister said the University Grants Commission too is working on the regulation for Academic Performance Indicators for appointment and promotion of teachers as well as reform in PhD rules. The committee looking at the matter is likely to come up with the guidelines in a month time.

