New Delhi: In a major development, the University Grants Commission (UGC), has instructed all Universities, Institutes Deemed to be Universities, and their affiliated colleges to initiate appropriate steps to fill up the existing vacant faculty posts.  During faculty recruitment process, the UGC clarified that these higher educational institutes should adhere to UGC Guidelines of Recruitment of Faculty.

The UGC directed that all universities should inform and update the status of recruitment process to the regulator and upload on the University Activity Monitoring portal of the UGC. (www.ugc.ac.in/uamp/).

Higher Educational institutions should upload the following data , vacant teaching staff, reservation and advertisement details, recruitment process status and steps  taken to fill up these posts.  HEIs should upload these information and data by 10 November 2019.

The selection process should be strictly in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2018 and as amended from time to time.

AS per the UGC Guidelines of Recruitment of Faculty July 2019, HEls should follow the time-frame of six months set out below for filling up of vacant teaching: UGC Guidelines of Recruitment of Faculty (Within 15 days from the date of initiation of recruitment process); Permission filling vacancies (Within next 30 days); Release of advertisement for vacancies (Within next 15 days); Constitution of Selection Committee (Within next 15 days). This may be done simultaneously with Activity No. 2 and 3 above); Fixing of Dates of the Selection Committee meetings (Within next 15 days); Scrutiny of Applications (within next 30 days); Conduct of Interviews (  within next 30 days); Approval of the Competent authority (within next 30 days).

The UGC has ordered via Letter to All Universities and Competent Authority that delay in filling up vacant posts will be viewed seriously and may lead to appropriate action by the UGC against such institutions.

As per previous reports, there are around 28% of the faculty positions in the state universities and colleges across the country are lying vacant.

Of the total 2,46,509 faculty positions, only 1,79,950 are currently filled and the remaining posts are vacant, as per Ministry of HRD.