Agartala, September 06, 2024: Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Friday revealed that 277 faculty positions remain vacant in various higher educational institutions across Tripura, with the Higher Education Department actively working to fill 201 of those vacancies. Dr. Saha made this statement during a state assembly session while responding to a query raised by the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Jitendra Chaudhury.
Dr. Saha, who also serves as the Minister-in-charge of the Higher Education Department, emphasized the state government’s commitment to addressing the shortage of faculty in colleges and universities. “The Tripura Public Service Commission (TPSC) is currently working on filling 75 faculty positions, and the Finance Department has approved the recruitment of an additional 126 positions. These posts will be filled at the earliest opportunity,” Dr. Saha assured the assembly.
The issue was raised by Chaudhury during a supplementary question, where he pointed to the growing demand for faculty, especially in specific subjects and specialized institutions like the Music College. Chaudhury asked, “How many faculties are there as per the student-professor ratio? And how many created posts are lying vacant? How are colleges managing with such a shortage of faculties, and what is being done to fill this gap?”
In response, Dr. Saha detailed the government’s efforts to address the shortage. He stated that there are currently 312 vacancies under the state’s Higher Education Department. Of these, 75 positions have been requisitioned to the TPSC, and 126 more have been approved by the Finance Department. “Once the necessary process is completed, these positions will be forwarded to the TPSC for recruitment of regular assistant professors,” Dr. Saha added.
He also mentioned specific recruitment challenges, such as the vacant Principal position at TIT (Degree) Technical College, which remained unfilled due to a lack of suitable candidates. “Recruitment Rules (RR) for six Assistant Professor positions at TIT (Degree) College are being revised, and once completed, eligible candidates will be recruited through TPSC. The same process is being followed to fill vacancies for Principals in Government Colleges and the Art & Craft Colleges,” the Chief Minister noted.
The government has taken initiatives to fill 13 vacancies for Principals in Government General Degree Colleges, with recruitment to follow Finance Department approval. In addition, steps have been initiated to fill six assistant professor positions for the M.Ed course at IASE, Kunjaban, and four Principal positions in Diploma (Technical) Colleges.
However, the opposition voiced concerns about the slow pace of recruitment. LoP Jitendra Chaudhury criticized the government’s efforts, arguing, “The government claims human resource development is a priority, but faculty vacancies have persisted for years. How are these gaps being addressed when student numbers are increasing, but faculty numbers remain insufficient?”
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman added to the debate by asking for clarity on the current student-faculty ratio and highlighting that many qualified candidates—holders of NET, SLET, and Ph.D. degrees—are still awaiting employment. “It is alarming that while qualified candidates are struggling to find jobs, the government has appointed 612 guest lecturers to temporarily fill the shortfall. Many of these degree holders are approaching the upper age limit for recruitment, and the government must consider their situation,” Barman stressed.
In response, Dr. Saha reassured the assembly that the government is looking into the matter and aims to streamline the recruitment process to ensure a fair and timely filling of vacant posts.
