21 sub-divisions have no colleges: Minister

JAIPUR: Higher education minister Kiran Maheshwari said that 21 sub-divisions in the state have no colleges either in the government or in private sector and preference would be given to such sub-division for colleges.
She was replying to a question relating to the demand for a college at Virat Nagar. Congress MLA Bhanwar Singh Bhati then drew the attention of the minister towards the party's election promise of one college at each of the 289 sub-divisions in the state.

She said, the promise remains unfulfilled as her own constituency has no college.

The minister said, the norms for sanctioning college at the moment is 30 km distance and so there is no proposal for a college in Virat Nagar.

Replying to a supplementary by the newly elected MLA from Mandalgarh Vivek Dhakar on the shortage of faculties and deputation of faculties from one college to other affecting studies in both the colleges, the minister admitted that there is a severe shortage of faculties in colleges which is being addressed.

The minister's reply highlighted the major crisis of shortage of faculty plaguing higher education in the state. She said, out of 6,265 sanctioned posts of college faculty, only 3,925 are currently working and efforts are being to recruit teachers to the vacant posts.

Maheshwari said, the interview for recruitment of 1,248 is on and the 935 faculties retired by December last year are being filled up on a priority basis. The minister alleged that the huge backlog of faculties in colleges is the legacy she inherited from the previous regime.