Nagpur University Faces 172 Vacant Teaching Positions
Nagpur University has appointed 139 contractual assistant professors amid 172 permanent teaching vacancies, raising concerns over recruitment delays.
Nagpur University has 172 permanent teaching posts unfilled.
139 contractual assistant professors have been hired for the 2026-27 academic session.
Concerns grow over the prolonged vacancies affecting education quality.
Nagpur University (NU) is grappling with a significant shortage of teaching staff, with 172 permanent positions currently vacant. To address this issue, the university has resorted to hiring 139 contractual assistant professors for the 2026-27 academic year, a move that highlights ongoing challenges in the recruitment of permanent faculty.
The university has a total of 255 sanctioned full-time faculty positions; however, only 83 of these are currently filled, resulting in a mere 33% occupancy rate. This leaves approximately 67% of the positions unoccupied, raising alarms about the university's ability to deliver quality education. The newly appointed contractual faculty will serve until April 30, 2027, earning a monthly stipend of Rs 40,000.
The reliance on contractual appointments is not a new phenomenon for NU, which has faced staffing shortages for several years. University management has attributed the delays in filling permanent posts to technical challenges within the regular recruitment process. This staffing crisis is particularly evident across the university's 31 departments, with some lacking any full-time faculty members. For instance, out of 218 sanctioned faculty posts, only a small number are currently occupied, with only two of the 38 sanctioned professor positions filled and just 13 of the 66 associate professor roles occupied.
The vacancies extend to the university's Law College and BEd College as well, prompting concerns from various stakeholders, including Senate member Manmohan Bajpai. He has reached out to the chief minister, governor, chancellor, and higher education minister, urging them to expedite the recruitment process. Bajpai emphasized that the ongoing vacancies are detrimental to both teaching and research efforts at the university.
In a recent Senate meeting, NU officials revealed that discussions were held with the higher education department regarding the reservation rosters for NU and LITU. This development suggests that the recruitment process remains entangled with issues related to these reservation rosters, further complicating efforts to fill the vacant positions and improve the university's staffing situation.
