Teachers slam state over 11k vacant teaching posts

Nagpur: Even as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and UGC wrote to all vice-chancellors (VCs) across the country to fill up five lakh vacant teaching posts in colleges and universities within six months, the state educators’ body has slammed the Maharashtra government for leaving 11,000 seats vacant in the last four years.
With 15,000 NET/SET candidates still available in Maharashtra, the state quality education forum has advised the government to take the drive as a mission
On June 6, the UGC wrote to all the VCs regarding the shortage of quality teachers in higher education institutions (HEIs) affecting learning among students. The apex body also forwarded revised guidelines for filling up vacancies in a time-bound manner.
The UGC’s guidelines consisted steps to be followed by HEIs to remove shortage of teachers in six months.
These include identification of existing as well as those posts which would be vacant in the next six months. The guidelines say that the step must be completed within 15 days of starting the recruitment. In the following 30 days, permissions for filling up the posts must be sought.
It would be deemed to be approved in case competent authority fails to approve in 30 days. As per the guidelines, in the next four 15-day phases, advertisement, selection panel set up, scrutiny of applications are scheduled. Following this, two 30-day phases are reserved for interviews and approval from the competent authority.
The apex body would monitor the updates from HEIs through a new portal where the HEIs have to post all developments regarding recruitments.
The move followed a meeting convened by MHRD with UGC, Rashtriya Uchtar Shikshan Abhiyan, and other stakeholders. The delegates deliberated over the need to fill up five lakh vacancies in teaching positions across the country and came up with the framework.
Meanwhile, National Forum For Quality Education and All India NET/SET Teacher’s Organization advised the state government to undertaken the drive as a mission.
“We welcome the decision of MHRD and UGC. But the passive attitude of the state government is worrying. It has led to 11,000 vacant teaching positions and loss of the central government grants from January 2016 to April 2019,” said Kushal Mude, who represents both the forums.
“At least now, we hope the department of higher education would take up the recruitment move as a mission to fill all 11,000 positions. Total 15,000 NET /SET candidates are available in the state of Maharashtra. To maintain standard and quality in higher education, this recruitment drive should be taken as a special mission in the interest of students,” Mude added.