Question : Shortage of Faculty

(a) whether the Government is aware that a number of posts of Vice Chancellors are lying
vacant in some of the Central Universities and if so, the details thereof along with the time
since these are lying vacant;
(b) the reasons for delay in filling up these vacancies and the time by which the said posts
are likely to be filled;
(c) whether the shortage of faculty position is affecting education in the Central
Universities and if so, since when these posts are lying vacant, category/post-wise and
University-wise; and
(d) whether the vacant posts are from Other Backward Class, Scheduled Caste and
Scheduled Tribe category and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with
the steps taken by the Government to fill up the said vacancies?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 226
FOR 14.03.2016 ASKED BY SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV AND DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL "NISHANK"
HON’BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING SHORTAGE OF FACULTY
(a) & (b): At present, out of 41 Central Universities (CUs) under the purview of Ministry of Human Resource
Development (MHRD), 39 Central Universities have regular Vice Chancellors (VC). Of the remaining 2 Central
Universities, VC of Assam University has resigned on 13.11.2015 and VC of Visva Bharati has been dismissed on
16.2.2016.
(c) & (d): No, Madam. Central Universities are adopting different methods/process to address faculty shortages
in order to ensure that studies of students are not affected. These include hiring ad-hoc faculty, appointing temporary
faculty, engaging services of retired teachers and engaging visiting faculty etc.
The incidence and filling up of vacancies in CUs is an ongoing and continuous process. Vacancies at various levels
are caused by dynamic processes attributable, inter-alia, to retirements, resignations, deaths, deputations, expansions
and opening up of new institutions, such data of occurrence of vacancy of each post, category/post-wise and
University-wise, is not centrally maintained. However, consolidated details of sanctioned and vacant teaching posts,
university-wise and post-wise, in 40 Central Universities under University Grants Commission (UGC) and in Indira
Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), as on 31.12.2015, are at Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.
The vacant posts of teachers are related to all categories and faculty shortage is due to establishment of new Centrally
Funded Educational Institutions (CFEIs), increase in student’s intake on account of OBC reservation policy, nonavailability
of qualified candidates and Immobility of the senior level faculty members.
The onus of filling up the teaching posts lies on Central Universities which are autonomous bodies created under the
Acts of Parliament. MHRD and UGC have written many times to the CUs to fill up the vacancies and also
continuously monitor it with them. Filling up of teaching positions has been discussed in the Conference of Vice-
Chancellors of the Central Universities held on 4th – 5th February, 2015 and Visitor’s Conference on 4th -6th
November, 2015 which were chaired by the Hon’ble President. In the Vice Chancellors’ Conference and Visitor’s
Conference, the Vice Chancellors were exhorted to fill up the vacant position of teachers in a time bound manner.
Further, it was also discussed in a meeting with Vice Chancellors of Central Universities on 18th February, 2016. With
the appointment of regular Vice Chancellors and providing of Visitor’s nominees to all Central Universities for
Selection Committees for teachers, the process of filling up of vacant teaching posts has gathered momentum.
Besides above, the following steps have also been taken to fill up the vacancies:
(i) There is no ban on filling up of vacant teaching posts. UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for
Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the
maintenance of standards in Higher Education 2010 envisages that all the sanctioned / approved posts in the
university system shall be filled up on an urgent basis.
(ii) In order to meet the situation arising out of shortage of teachers in universities and the consequent vacant
positions, the age of superannuation for teachers in Central Educational Institution has already been enhanced
to sixty five years.
(iii) Teachers can also be re-employed on contract appointment beyond the age of sixty five years upto the age of
seventy years, subject to availability of vacant positions and fitness.
(iv) UGC initiated a scheme called Operation Faculty Recharge for augmenting the research and teaching resources
of universities to tackle the shortage of faculty in university system.
(v) UGC also framed the guidelines for empanelment of Adjunct Faculty in Universities and Colleges. These
guidelines enable higher educational institutions to access the eminent teachers and researchers who have
completed their formal association with the University/College, to participate in teaching, to collaborate and to
stimulate research activities for quality research at M. Phil and Ph.D. levels; and to play mentoring and
inspirational role.
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