Indore: Expressing concern over dearth of teachers at universities in the state, higher education minister Jitu Patwari on Thursday said that the government may ask Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) to make appointments at the universities if they don’t fill the vacancies on their own.
“It has been noticed that the universities are shying away from filling the vacant posts of teachers. If the universities do not fill the vacancies, we may ask MPPSC to do the needful,” said the minister during a meeting of registrars of state varsities in Bhopal.
The minister said that the shortage of faculties in the universities is not only taking toll on academic activities but also taking toll on research. He stressed on the need for enhancing research. The minister also asked the registrars to develop some system like Lok Adalat to resolve grievances of students so that they do not have to move court.
“There should be some system wherein compromise could be reached upon between the aggrieved student and the university,” the minister said.
He also pushed for setting up a helpline which would accepts complaints pertaining to delay in issuances of degrees, marksheets, migration etc. He also asked the registrars if any mechanism could be developed wherein photocopies of answer books could be issued to students. The registrars informed Patwari that the idea of issuing photocopies of answer books is not feasible as lakh of students give exams throughout the year.
DAVV not filling vacant posts Nearly 50 per cent teaching posts are lying vacant at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV). It advertised vacancies three times but never filled them, citing increase in expenditure. “Around 200 teaching posts are lying vacant in DAVV.
If we will fill these posts, our expenditure will increase by 40 per cent to what it is today. We will recruit only when our income increases,” says vice- chancellor Dr Narendra Dhakad. The university spends about Rs 2.5 crore in payment of salary to teaching and non-teaching staff annually. If 200 more teachers would be appointed the annual expenditure would shoot up to Rs 4.5 crore.
The process to fill vacancies was undertaken in 2009 but after a complaint over irregularities was lodged with Raj Bhawan, process was deferred after appointment of a few teachers. Ahead of NAAC peer team’s visit to the DAVV in 2013, vacant posts were advertised and applications were invited. After NAAC awarded Grade ‘A’ accreditation to DAVV, appointment process was put in a cold storage on the excuse of financial problems. In 2016, the DAVV again geared up to fill the vacancies but later dropped the idea.
