HC seeks roadmap from Haryana chief secretary on filling assistant professor posts

Scheduling the next hearing for October 5, the high court bench of justices Deepak Sibal and Sukhvinder Kaur asked the chief secretary that the affidavit should contain a detailed road map of how and when the government intends to fill the vacancies

Taking note of large number of vacancies in state’s government colleges, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed Haryana chief secretary to file an affidavit explaining why regular selection for assistant professors and lecturers has not been held for more than four-and-half years.

The bench observed that according to data submitted in court, nearly 60% of the sanctioned posts are vacant and the last regular selection took place over four-and-half years ago. (Shutterstock)

Scheduling the next hearing for October 5, the high court bench of justices Deepak Sibal and Sukhvinder Kaur asked the chief secretary that the affidavit should contain a detailed road map of how and when the government intends to fill the vacancies.

The order was passed in a 2021 petition where some candidates had disputed eligibility conditions for the post of extension lecturers. It was during the proceedings of this case that the high court had sought details of vacancies from the government.

During the hearing, it came to fore that 4,738 sanctioned posts of assistant professor in government colleges in the state are vacant. The court referred to the affidavit filed before high court which revealed that a requisition of 1,535 such posts was sent by the higher education department to Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) for recruitment on September 2, 2022. The same was kept on hold by HPSC.

The state’s counsel had informed the court that the total sanctioned strength of assistant professors/lecturers in the state was 8,137.

The bench observed that according to data submitted in court, nearly 60% of the sanctioned posts are vacant and the last regular selection took place over four-and-half years ago.

“When posts of assistant professors/lecturers are not filled up on a regular basis, they are then filled up through extension lecturers or adhoc/contractual appointments. In such appointments merit is a casualty,” the bench observed, adding that it is a matter of common knowledge that when regular selections do not take place, many meritorious candidates refrain from even applying primarily on account of the fact that there is no job security.