Nagpur: With 172 of 255 sanctioned full-time teaching posts lying vacant, senate member of Nagpur University (NU) Manmonhan Bajpai has urged Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis to intervene, warning the severe faculty shortage is affecting quality of higher education and undermining students’ right to quality learning.In a representation submitted to the chief minister on Tuesday, Bajpai alleged the university had failed to fill teaching and non-teaching vacancies despite a large number of retirements over past several years. He questioned how the state expects universities to achieve global standards when academic departments continue to function with acute staff shortages.According to Bajpai, the university’s 31 teaching departments, along with the School of Law, PG Law Department and B.Ed College, have 255 sanctioned full-time teaching posts, of which only 83 are currently occupied, leaving 172 vacancies.The vacancy is most pronounced at the senior level. Of the 40 sanctioned professor posts, only two permanent professors are in service, leaving 38 positions vacant. Similarly, 13 associate professors are working against 71 sanctioned posts, resulting in 58 vacancies. At the assistant professor level, 68 teachers are in place against 144 sanctioned posts, leaving 76 vacancies.The representation also highlights shortages in constituent institutions. The School of Law has one vacant professor’s post and two assistant professor vacancies. The PG Law Department has vacancies for one professor, four associate professors and two assistant professors. The B.Ed College is functioning without any associate professor and has only four assistant professors against 20 sanctioned posts, leaving 16 vacancies.Bajpai also pointed to a shortage of administrative staff, claiming that 489 non-teaching officer and employee posts remain vacant. He urged the state to immediately initiate recruitment for both teaching and non-teaching positions.
