According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), 1,923 of the 9,261 teaching posts in Central Universities are lying vacant as on December 31, Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari told Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.
The Commission has so far collected information from 74 state universities, where 627 teaching positions are vacant as on May one, 2007, she said.
The UGC has been advising all the central universities to fill up the vacant posts and has also issued a circular to all state governments to fill up the vacant positions as appointment of faculty on contract, part-time and as guest faculty on long-term basis affects the quality of higher education, the minister said.
The central government has already increased the age of retirement from 62 years to 65 years in respect of teachers of Centrally-funded technical and higher educational institutions which come under the purview of the HRD ministry to overcome the shortage of experienced teachers.
