Over 4,000 teaching posts lying vacant in 43 central varsities: Govt

As many as 4,297 teaching positions in reserved categories remain vacant across central universities in India, Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan informed Parliament. The vacancies are for the posts of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in central educational institutions.

Pradhan was answering a question raised by Rajya Sabha member from Kerala AA Rahim on the number of vacancies in reserved categories in central educational institutions, and information on posts that continue to remain vacant after no candidate was found suitable for the said posts following recruitment.

Five backward categories

According to the data produced by the Education Minister, there are 880 vacancies for the post of Professor across the five backward categories in 43 central universities. Similarly, the number of vacancies for associate professors and assistant professors are 1,624 and 1,793, respectively.

Of the 4,297 vacancies, 988 are reserved for applicants from the Scheduled Castes (SC), 576 for those from Scheduled Tribes (ST), 1,761 from Other Backward Castes (OBC), 628 from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and 344 for Persons with Disabilities (PWD), the statement said.

Pradhan said, while the recruitment process for 3,696 posts in the categories of SC, ST, OBC and EWS were initiated across the 43 central universities over the past five years, 553 of them couldn’t be filled up due to the unavailability of suitable candidates.

Universities with the highest number of vacancies in the five backward categories include the University of Delhi (589), Banaras Hindu University (567), University of Allahabad, (433), Jawaharlal University (262), Visva Bharati (248), Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (173), Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (168), Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (111) and Pondicherry University (101).

The statement said that the Ministry of Education has directed all Central higher educational institutions to fill up the vacancies in a mission mode within one year starting September 5, 2021.

Since August 2021, 4,807 posts in Central universities have been advertised for which selection process is underway. Of the total, 375 posts have been filled up, the minister said.