Chandigarh
Newsline: Chandigarh: Sunday, October 14, 2012.
Even as
authorities claim that regular appointments are being made, a total of about
900 teaching posts in various Panjab University (PU) departments are currently
lying vacant. In response to an RTI filed by Newsline , the University
responded with details of the vacant positions including for professors,
assistant professors and lecturers that have not been filled for the past six
months, with some lying vacant for a long time.
The worst
affected by the problem is the University Institute of Engineering and
Technology (UIET), where 112 positions are vacant: 23 for professors, 44 for
assistant professors and 45 lecturers. Explaining the situation, Director of
UIET, Renu Vig, said regular interviews are going on and appointments are being
made. “About 16 people have been selected and will be appointed soon. Most
often contractual staff and guest faculty are also invited so that classes are
not disturbed,” she added.
Vig also
blamed the shortage on the lack of qualified people. Very few people who fill
the required criteria for the post of Professor are available for appointment,
and sometimes even after appointment, the candidates don’t join, she said
before adding: “Some people apply for the positions as PU is a reputed
University, but they later do not join due to various reasons like not wanting
to shift from their city of residence”.
Many other
important departments of the University, with large number of students, face a
similar situation. There are 22 vacant positions of teaching staff in the
Physics department, 24 in Chemical Engineering and Technology, 29 in Chemistry,
44 in Dr HSJ Institute of Dental College and Hospital, 18 in University
Business School (UBS), 15 in University Institute of Legal Studies (UILS), 16
in University Institute of Applied Management Studies (UIAMS), 17 in Maths
department and 37 in University School of Open Learning (USOL). The total
vacancies in all departments add up to 889 posts.
The Registrar
of the University, A K Bhandari, confirmed that no appointments have been made
in the past six to eight months for various reasons and also mentioned that
many positions have been lying vacant for a long time. He mentioned that the
University, however, is in the process of recruiting more faculty members. “The
positions are periodically getting filled and regular interviews are taking
place now. In the last Syndicate meeting, appointments of about 15 regular and
25 contractual faculty members was discussed”. In the previous Syndicate
meeting, the Vice-Chancellor, A K Grover, had set a target of March 2013 to end
the faculty crunch, through regular appointments.
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