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Amid faculty shortage, PU may opt for need-based recruitment
Official sources said the plan was to fill the posts in PU departments that are facing acute shortage (70% shortage), followed by departments with (50% shortage) of teachers
Currently reeling under faculty crunch, Panjab University (PU) may go for the recruitment of teachers on the posts for departments in urgent need of teachers.
Official sources said the plan was to fill the posts in departments that are facing acute shortage of teachers and data would be collected from the departments to identify the positions that need to be filled urgently.
The varsity has expedited the recruitment process in view of the upcoming round of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation. The body had in its last visit pointed out the shortage of faculty in several departments.
The move also comes after the education ministry, earlier this year, gave a green signal to PU for recruiting teachers — albeit without any additional financial commitment. The varsity has requested to fill around 85 teaching and over 300 non-teaching positions.
PU had in November submitted information to the ministry regarding the financial implications of the recruitment process.
With no fresh recruitment of teachers over the past many years, of the total 1,378 teaching positions, the varsity is reeling under over 40% shortage of teachers in its teaching departments — primarily in assistant and associate professors’ categories. .
UGC says internal matter
Regarding the filing of vacant positions in PU, the University Grants Commission (UGC) in a letter to the varsity in August last year had observed, “UGC provides fixed grants to PU, and to fill up the vacant sanctioned posts is the internal matter of the university.”
While expressing concern over the shortfall of faculty in higher educational institutions, UGC had last year asked universities to take appropriate steps for faculty recruitment at the earliest.
Appreciating the step, PU senator Priyatosh Sharma, said the university must recruit teachers and fulfil the shortage. “Besides the next round of NAAC accreditation, the university’ score in various rankings will improve if we can improve our student-teacher ratio,” he said.
Work on roster
The PU senate in its meeting in March approved the roster prepared by the panel for the direct recruitment of assistant professors. However, the roster for associate professors and professors is yet to be approved.
A university official said work on the recruitment roster for associate professors was underway on and the same may be taken up in the next meeting of the senate.
