New Delhi: University of Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur and Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Tiruchirappalli have the maximum number of teaching staff vacancies among central universities, the IITs and IIMs, respectively, according to data released by the Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday.
There are 45 central universities, 23 IITs and 20 IIMs in the country.
The data showed that University of Delhi has 792 of 1,706 teaching positions vacant, while IIT-Kharagpur has 819 of 1,526 positions vacant, and IIM-Tiruchirappalli has 51 of 94 positions vacant.
Minister of State for Education Subas Sarkar, while answering a query raised by Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, stated: “Occurring of vacancies and filling thereof is a continuous process. The vacancies arise due to retirement, resignation and additional requirements on account of enhanced students’ strength.”
He added that “the Ministry of Education has requested the institutes to fill up the vacancies through special recruitment drive in mission mode, and most of the institutes have initiated the process”.
In August 2021, the ministry had directed central higher educational institutions to fill up all vacancies within a period of one year starting from 5 September 2021.
The data presented in Parliament also showed that in addition to the vacant teaching staff posts, University of Delhi has 2,391 non-teaching posts vacant, among the sanctioned 3,280, while IIT-Kharagpur has 559 of 1,430 vacant. Eleven of 34 non-teaching staff posts are vacant at IIM-Tiruchirappalli.
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Where the rest stand
Other central varsities with a significant staff shortage include Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) with 321 of 926 teaching positions vacant, and 746 of 1,565 non-teaching posts vacant. Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has 474 of 1,714 teaching posts vacant, and 1,503 of 6,561 non-teaching posts vacant, while Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has 560 of 2,083 teaching positions, and 4,462 of 8,854 non-teaching positions vacant.
As for the IITs, the one in Bombay has 510 of 1,225 teaching positions and 756 of 1,421 non-teaching positions vacant. IIT-Roorkee has 427 of 939 teaching positions and 217 of 879 non-teaching positions vacant.
Among the IIMs, the one in Calcutta has 45 of 126 teaching positions and 78 of 139 non-teaching positions vacant.
Total number of vacancies remains stagnant
Answering another query raised by BJP MP C.M. Ramesh in the Rajya Sabha Wednesday, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan presented a statement that showed a total of 11,050 teaching positions currently lying vacant across central higher education institutes — 6,028 in central universities, 4,526 in the IITs, and 496 in the IIMs.
The statement also said that the “Ministry of Education has directed all the central higher educational institutions to fill up the vacancies in mission mode, and so far more than 6,000 posts of faculty/non-faculty have been filled up”. The ministry, it added, has set up a monthly monitoring mechanism.
However, the number of vacant teaching posts seems to have remained stagnant over some time.
In a response presented in the Lok Sabha in December 2022, the education ministry had stated that more than 11,000 faculty positions were lying vacant in central universities, IITs and IIMs.
Data shared by Pradhan showed that in 45 central universities, 6,180 teaching posts among the sanctioned 18,956 were vacant. In the IITs, 4,502 of 11,170 sanctioned posts were vacant and, in IIMs, 493 of 1,566 sanctioned posts were vacant.
In an even earlier response given in Parliament in December 2021, the education ministry had stated there were 10,814 faculty posts vacant in higher education institutes — 6,535 in central universities, 403 in IIMs, and 3,876 in the IITs.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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