Indore: After a gap of five years, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) has moved a step closer to filling long-pending faculty vacancies, with 595 applications received for only 13 assistant professor posts in its University Teaching Departments (UTDs).
The recruitment drive that was launched in June and has now concluded, invited applications for regular and backlog assistant professor positions in departments including Institute of Management Studies, Life Sciences, Physics, School of Education, Data Science and Biochemistry.
According to university officials, scrutiny of application documents is expected to begin by the end of August and may take nearly three weeks to complete. The selection process will thereafter proceed under the provisions of UGC Regulations, 2018, with interviews expected in Oct.
This is the first regular faculty hiring exercise undertaken by the university since 2021. Although DAVV had advertised 94 teaching posts five years ago, appointments could be made to only 42 positions across various departments, leaving a large number of vacancies unfilled.
DAVV vice chancellor Prof Rakesh Singhai said that the university planned to undertake recruitment for another 50 to 55 teaching posts once the current process was completed on schedule. Officials estimate that DAVV still has more than 150 vacant teaching positions, with at least 100 requiring immediate recruitment to meet academic needs.
The university has witnessed a steady decline in faculty strength over the past decade due to retirements and resignations, while simultaneously expanding its academic offerings. DAVV now has 29 teaching departments, including newer schools such as Aviation, Tribal Studies and Design, besides introducing several new programmes in recent years.
Educationists said the university would also require faculty with expertise in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence and Data Science to support newly introduced courses. Registrar Prajwal Khare confirmed that the application process for the 13 posts has been completed and the next stage of recruitment will begin shortly.
