By TC News Desk
Agartala, 6th September 2024: In a recent assembly session, Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha revealed that there are currently 277 vacant faculty positions in various higher educational institutions across Tripura. The Higher Education department has initiated measures to fill 201 of these posts.
Responding to a query from Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury, Dr. Saha, who also serves as the Minister in-charge of the Higher Education department, emphasized the state government’s commitment to addressing the faculty shortages. “At present, the Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) has taken the initiative to fill 75 faculty positions, while the Finance department has approved the filling of an additional 126 posts. All these positions will be filled at the earliest,” Dr. Saha stated.
In a supplementary query, Chaudhury raised concerns about the distribution of vacancies across various subjects and institutions, including degree and music colleges. He questioned the student-to-professor ratio and the impact of faculty shortages on the functioning of colleges. “How are the colleges managing with such a shortage of faculties? How is this gap being filled?” Chaudhury asked.
Dr. Saha responded by outlining the steps taken to recruit for gazetted posts under the Tripura State Higher Education Department. “Currently, there are 312 vacancies under the higher education department. The Finance Department has approved the appointment of 75 Assistant Professors in General Degree Colleges, and requisitions have been sent to TPSC for the selection of suitable candidates. Additionally, the Finance Department has approved the appointment of 126 more assistant professors in government universities. Once the necessary processes are completed, these will be forwarded to TPSC for further action,” he explained.
Dr. Saha also addressed specific vacancies, including the unfilled post of Principal at TIT (Degree) Technical College due to a lack of suitable candidates. “The process of revising Recruitment Rules (RR) is ongoing to fill six Assistant Professor positions at TIT (Degree) College. Eligible candidates will be recruited through TPSC once the revision is complete. Similar revisions are underway for Principal positions in Government Colleges and Art & Crafts Colleges, with regular recruitment to follow,” he added.
Furthermore, Dr. Saha mentioned initiatives to fill 13 Principal vacancies in Government General Degree Colleges and six Assistant Professor positions for the M.Ed course at IASE, Kunjaban. “The process of amending the Recruitment Rules (RR) is ongoing for these positions as well,” he noted.
Chaudhury criticized the state government’s handling of human resources, stating, “Time and again, statements have been made about faculty vacancies. How is the gap being filled? The number of students is increasing, but colleges lack the required number of faculties. Former Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath informed the assembly that one faculty member can teach up to 60 students.”
Adding supplementary, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman inquired about the shortage based on the current student-faculty ratio. He highlighted that numerous NET, SLET, and PhD degree holders are awaiting recruitment as faculty members. However, the government has appointed 612 individuals as guest lecturers to address the shortfall. Many of these degree holders are nearing the upper age limit for applying for these positions. Therefore, the government needs to reconsider the age limit.
Dr. Saha assured that the government is taking all necessary steps to address the faculty shortages and improve the quality of higher education in the state.
