HYDERABAD: Already grappling with over 2,000 vacant teaching posts in the universities of the state, with over 1,551 lying vacant for over five years now, the new draft regulation 2018 of Universities Grants Commission has left teachers in the state a worried lot. A minimum of 55%marks at the masters level for direct teaching recruitment, a compulsory PhD to be promoted as associate professor and no study leave to pursue PhD - are some of the guidelines on minimum qualification for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges. The draft has been called “regressive and biased” by the teaching community of the state.
With the state facing acute teacher crunch with nearly 50 per cent of teaching posts in colleges and universities of the state unoccupied, the rider that PhD is mandatory for recruitment and promotion to the post of associate professor has irked teachers. “This diktat will adversely impact filling up of vacancies particularly in TS because in the last four or five years there has not been a single PhD admission in the state Universities through SET. There is a need to simplify the admission process for PhD only then this guideline can function,” Vijay Bhasker Reddy, general secretary stste Degree and PG Colleges Association.
Teachers rue that by giving weightage to UG and PG marks UGC is pushing current breed of students towards rote learning. “It will also widen the gap between the urban-rural students and English and vernacular medium students. In rural areas the focus is not so much on marks as a result, such teachers will lose out on recruitment and promotion front,” said Dr Ram Shepherd, Chairman for Board of Studies, OU
A downward trend in PhD
Enrolment in TS varsities fell from 4,596 in 2014-15 to 4,133 in 2015-16
2,000 vacancies in the TS universities and nearly 3,000-4,000 in colleges. They function by hiring contractual or guest faculty who can not guide PhD students
0.4% of the total UG population in India enrolled research