Free Press Journal: PTI: Mumbai: Monday, July 10, 2023.
The situation is only slightly better for other teaching positions. While 40 out of 121 spots for associate professors are filled, 73 out of 160 assistant professors have been appointed.
Over 61% of teaching posts at the post-graduation (PG) departments at the University of Mumbai (MU) are currently lying vacant, the varsity has revealed in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query.
The data shared by the university shows that of 368 sanctioned teaching, including professors, associate professors and assistant professors, only 142 are filled at the moment. The professors' posts have the highest number of vacancies, with only 15 professors employed against 87 sanctioned posts. While all the 34 departments, except for the Gujarati language department, at least have at least one post for professor, as many as 22 are functioning without even a single full-time professor.
The situation is only slightly better for other teaching positions. While 40 out of 121 spots for associate professors are filled, 73 out of 160 assistant professors have been appointed.
The varsity has witnessed a gradual decline in the number of regular teachers over the years, as the posts left vacant due to the retirement of teachers weren't filled largely due to the state government's moratorium on new appointments in 2015. While the ban has since been lifted, the government is yet to approve new hires.
"The university is in the last stage of appointing 136 teachers. We are awaiting approval from the government," said an MU official.
The acute shortage of staff poses a significant challenge to university authorities as they begin rolling out the National Education Policy 2020 in the PG departments from this academic year. The lack of regular teachers has already taken a toll on master's programmes as well as research at the 166-year-old university, claim students and teachers.
"Due to vacancies, the professors are forced to teach multiple subjects, including the ones that are outside their area of expertise. Most of their time is spent in teaching master's students, with little time left for MPhil and PhD students. We are unable to get the necessary guidance about educational resources in specialised fields. As the professors are the primary link to education opportunities abroad, students are losing out on such opportunities," said a PhD scholar from MU's Sociology department.
While the university compensates for the shortage of faculty by hiring temporary teachers, most of them are at assistant professor level. "Before 2010, there used to be around 8-9 regular faculty members, which has come down to a mere five as the retirees weren't replaced. In such a scenario, PhD has taken a backseat, aand even master's students aren't trained properly," said a teacher from Life Science department.
Former MU senate member Sanjay Vairal, who had filed the RTi query, alleged that the government is neglecting the public universities in order to promote the private ones. "The university has a name and reputation to maintain. But if the situation persists the entire legacy of the university will end and the next generation will suffer. How can they implement NEP without experienced staff," he said.
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