Guj govt engg colleges run on 25% staff

TNN, Feb 19, 2011,

AHMEDABAD: Government engineering colleges in the state are running on only 25% of the sanctioned staff. A former academician filed an RTI application which revealed that nearly 75% of the sanctioned posts of principals, professors, assistant professors and lecturers were vacant in 16 state-run engineering colleges.

Former chairman of the state technical examination board, professor J R Dave wanted information on teaching positions lying vacant in government engineering colleges in 2003 and 2011. Dave was perturbed by the government's demand to increase number of colleges without reciprocal recruitment of teachers. "In the past decade, 10 new colleges were granted in the state. But the number of teachers is abysmally low. It is a very serious issue as it directly impacts the quality of education in the institutions as well as the quality of engineers produced in the state," said Dave.

Of the 16 engineering colleges, only four have principals and 90% of professors' posts are vacant. In junior positions, 73% assistant professors and 73% lecturers' posts are empty. In 2008, the state government appointed 2,000-odd ad hoc teachers in degree and diploma engineering colleges when it realised the technical educational system could collapse due to a teaching staff crunch. However, the absence of permanent staff is taking a toll.

"Even the academic results in government engineering colleges are going down due to severe shortage of teachers. Self-financed institutions are comparatively better off as they manage to bring in senior teaching staff," says vice-chancellor of the Gujarat Technological University Akash Aggrawal. "Of 100 teaching days, classes are held only in 50-odd days. Lack of senior faculty, especially professors, is telling on the standard of education," said principal of a government college.

Principal secretary of education Hasmukh Adhia said senior faculty is difficult to recruit as the eligibility criterion is stringent. "Candidates with first class in masters levels are not easily available," said Adhia.