Govt announces new colleges but fails to arrange faculty
‘Teachers from existing colleges to be deputed in new colleges’
Srinagar: The establishment of newly approved colleges is likely to take a toll on the functioning of the existing colleges as the government is contemplating to shift the faculty from the existing colleges to run the academic activities in the new colleges.
Pertinently, the governor administration has approved creation of new 102 degree colleges across the state with creation of posts for teaching and non-teaching faculty members.
However, an official said the department is already facing dearth of teaching faculty in the existing colleges and the department is yet to refer posts to the Public Service Commission (PSC) created in newly approved colleges.
“Till the process of recruitment for new colleges gets completed the government may shift some senior faculty members from the existing colleges to run the academic affairs in the new colleges,” an official said dealing with the academic section of the higher education department.
He said the move will deteriorate the already ailing academic scenario in the existing colleges as scores of teaching posts are lying vacant in the colleges and the department is delaying the recruitment to address the issue of shortage of teaching faculty.
“The department is managing the show by hiring academic arrangement on contract basis and it is expected that the new colleges will have whole faculty of contractual and one senior faculty member will be given charges of a principal,” an official said.
An official said that only 2700 out of 3500 sanctioned posts of teaching staff in degree colleges have been filled till date out of which 1600 posts were filled during the year 2016 -17.
He said more than 800 posts of teachers are vacant in various colleges due to which 40 percent staff in colleges has been hired on contract basis to teach the students enrolled in these colleges.
“So the fate of new colleges can be imagine given the faculty position of existing colleges. Instead of expansion and inaugurating new colleges, government should have given some attention on strengthening of existing colleges,” the official said.
As of now, the higher education department has hired over 3000 contractual teachers in Jammu and Kashmir for staff deficient colleges.
“The department is facing acute shortage of teaching staff in colleges and the situation will worsen once the academic session starts in new colleges,” the official said.
Commissioner Secretary higher education department, Talat Parvez Ruhella said the department has a perspective plan of making new colleges functional in phased manner.
“The issue regarding dearth of teaching faculty in colleges will also be looked into. All the posts will be filled but it will take some time,” he said.
KV Correspondent
