CHENNAI: The number of permanent faculty members in the University of Madras, one of the oldest and among the most prominent universities in India, has dipped to its lowest in the last 10 years with 350 of the total 536 posts lying vacant. The vice-chancellor post of the university, which is reeling under a financial crisis, has been vacant for the past one year.
With two of the university’s departments devoid of even one faculty member, staffs of allied departments are being roped in to handle classes, raising concerns on the quality of education, sources said.
According to official sources, at least five to six senior faculty members and professors retire every year but there has been no recruitment in the institution for the past 11 years. “The University of Madras was known for its research work and innovations, but due to the shortage of teaching staff, over the last decade, research work in the institution has taken a back seat,” said a professor.
“We are producing research scholars but hardly any of their work is worthy of national recognition,” the professor added. Several departments are unable to even apply for research funding due to the situation.
Although the university has over 140 guest lecturers to help manage the situation, students and academicians have alleged that when it comes to quality of education, they are simply not on par with permanent staff members.
Senior professors blame the state government for the situation.
“Other state universities are being allowed to recruit faculty members despite facing corruption allegations and financial problems, but they are turning a blind eye towards Madras University,” another professor said.
‘Faculty shortage not just about quantity but quality’
”We neither get sufficient grants from the state government nor being allowed to go in for fresh recruitment. Even getting our salaries every month is nothing short of a miracle,” the professor added.
UoM officials stated that the faculty shortage is just not about quantity, which can be addressed to a certain extent by bringing in guest faculty, but it also about the quality of education.
Former V-C of the university, G Thiruvasagam, has urged the Tamil Nadu government to intervene immediately. “The University Grants Commission recently granted Category-I status to the university which provides complete autonomy to the institution to start new courses. In order to retain the status, the government should recruit an adequate quantity of teachers with the required experience,” Thiruvasagam said.