BANGALORE: Bangalore University (BU) is facing a 40 per cent shortage in its teaching and non-teaching departments. Of the 590 teaching posts, only 365 are filled. The university has 731 non-teaching staff at present, against the 1,171 sanctioned posts.
The figures are part of an Academic and Administrative Audit (AAA) report recently submitted to BU Vice-Chancellor B Thimme Gowda.
Bangalore University is among several institutions affected by the government’s restrictions on recruitments at state universities, in place since 2003. According to the Finance Department’s order, if a university wants to recruit, it has to do so at its own expense and not expect the government to pay salaries.
The report put forth by a committee headed by Prof B Hanumaiah, former V-C of Mangalore University, has recommended that the university fill the vacant posts soon. “Shortage of faculty and administrative staff is a major problem which has constrained the functioning of the university administration and academic programmes, apart from research works,” the report states.
Prof Gowda said, “It is terrible to work without staff. For teaching, we can manage with guest faculty but it is not possible in the non-teaching department. We have communicated the same to the government several times.” According to him, apart from affecting the quality of teaching, the staff crunch has badly hit administrative work.
“Recently, the government told the university to use funds received under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (National Higher Education Mission). It would be better if the government fills at least the posts of assistant professors,” Gowda said.
The committee has also suggested that the university maintain the register to keep track of posts created/sanctioned (teaching and non-teaching), and those filled and vacant, thus enabling the university to maintain a proper database for better planning and efficient administration. The report will be placed before the next Syndicate meeting for further discussion.