Sardar Patel Institute faces acute faculty shortage

The Ahmedabad-based Sardar Patel Institute of Economic and Social Research (SPIESR) is facing an acute shortage of trained faculty. The faculty strength of SPIESR has fallen from 17 in the '80s to just five as of today.

To make matters worse, three of the five remaining faculty, including SPIESR director R G Nambiar, will retire from service in two months from now.

A representation was made to the chief minister, who is also the president of the institute, last week to take steps for strengthening the faculty at the Institute.

On the occasion of the second D T Lakdawala Memorial lecture, held at the institute, Nambiar urged the chief minister to strengthen the faculty, so that it will be able to continue the research work effectively and provide valuable inputs to policy makers through its research activities.

"There is a serious problem of shortage of trained faculty at SPIESR. From a strength of 17 in the eighties, we today have just five trained faculty, of which one will retire this months and two in next two months," said Nambiar, while addressing the chief minister.

Established in 1969, SPIESR is an Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) research institute and conducts research on economic and social problems of Gujarat and India.

The instituteoffers PhD to scholars and trains research workers through its various training programmes. Its publications include books, monographs and two bi-annual periodicals.