Agartala, 25th September 2026 : A group of 178 qualified Guest Lecturers who have served in Tripura’s government degree colleges has sought a one-time, transparent and legally compliant recruitment mechanism for appointment to Assistant Professor posts, citing persistent teacher shortages and the increasing academic workload under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP).
A detailed representation submitted to the Chief Minister, with copies to the Higher Education Minister, Chief Secretary and Secretary of the Higher Education Department, said many of the applicants have between five and 15 years of teaching experience in government colleges. Their engagement as Guest Lecturers ended on August 31, 2026.
According to the representation, government colleges currently have around 507 regular Assistant Professors against approximately 732 Guest Lecturers, highlighting the system’s dependence on temporary teaching arrangements. Of the Guest Lecturers, 178 are stated to possess the qualifications prescribed by the UGC along with substantial teaching experience.
The applicants stressed that they are not seeking automatic regularisation merely on the basis of length of service. Instead, they have sought a special one-time selection or recruitment process based on prescribed qualifications, experience, available vacancies and applicable constitutional, statutory and regulatory provisions.
They proposed that subject-wise and college-wise vacancies be identified and the eligibility of applicants examined on the basis of qualifications such as Master’s degrees, NET/SLET/SET, PhD wherever applicable, subject-specific requirements and documented teaching experience.
The representation also sought the formation of a high-level expert committee comprising officials of the Higher Education Department, Directorate of Higher Education, universities and other relevant authorities to assess teacher requirements, vacancies, academic workload, qualifications and legal feasibility.
The applicants referred to previous Higher Education Department memoranda concerning the placement of qualified PGTs as Assistant Professors, while acknowledging that the circumstances and legal basis of those arrangements may differ from the present case.
They also cited the Supreme Court’s interim direction dated September 8, 2026, in W.P.(C) No. 1102/2026, arguing that any mechanism must strictly adhere to prescribed educational qualifications and existing legal requirements.
The representation said the implementation of NEP 2020 and FYUGP has expanded responsibilities relating to research methodology, projects, interdisciplinary courses, mentoring and assessment, making adequate faculty strength increasingly important.
Pending a long-term decision, the applicants have also urged consideration of an interim teaching arrangement to prevent disruption of academic activities in government colleges.
The Guest Lecturers said strengthening the regular teaching cadre, rather than continued dependence on temporary arrangements, would provide a more sustainable response to recurring academic requirements.
