Agartala: Several organisations representing guest lecturers serving in higher education institutions across Tripura on Saturday expressed concern over the growing shortage of teachers in the state’s colleges and urged the government to adopt effective long-term measures to address the crisis.
The organisations also demanded the regularisation of guest lecturers who meet the required qualifications for appointment as assistant professors, while calling for policy reforms to tackle the shortage in a comprehensive manner.
The issue was raised at a general meeting convened by the Tripura Atithi Adhyapak Sangha, affiliated to the Tripura NET, SLET, PhD Forum, where members highlighted what they described as a significant gap between the prescribed faculty strength and the actual appointments across colleges in the state.
Citing UGC norms on teacher-student ratio, a leader of the organisation said Tripura requires around 2,413 assistant professors to adequately staff its higher education institutions. The state currently has 28 general degree colleges, five professional colleges and seven technical colleges. However, the total number of assistant professors stands at only 507, including 449 in general degree colleges, with the rest posted in technical and professional institutions.
According to the organisation, these figures were placed during the recently concluded Assembly session.
The body also referred to data shared by the Higher Education Minister in the Assembly, which showed that out of 683 sanctioned posts in government degree colleges, 234 remain vacant. In addition, there are 26 vacancies in professional colleges and 43 in technical institutions, taking the total number of vacant teaching positions to 306.
Despite these shortages, academic activities are being sustained with the support of 732 guest lecturers engaged across institutions. However, the organisation alleged that only around 150 of them meet the UGC-prescribed eligibility criteria.
Referring to guidelines issued in 2019, it said guest lecturers are required to possess qualifications equivalent to those of assistant professors, including NET, SLET or PhD, and any deviation from this norm amounts to a violation.
The organisation further pointed out that even if the number of assistant professors and guest lecturers is combined, the total faculty strength still falls far short of the prescribed requirement, underlining the seriousness of the staffing crisis.
Among its key demands, the organisation called for the regularisation of qualified guest lecturers who have been engaged in teaching for years. It also proposed the creation of additional posts under a “state-aided assistant professor” category, similar to arrangements adopted in some other states, to help bridge the shortfall.
Another major issue raised was the 40-year upper age limit for appointment as assistant professor in Tripura. The organisation sought its removal, arguing that no such restriction exists in central universities, where candidates are eligible to apply irrespective of age.
Meanwhile, another body, Guest Lecturer Karmachari Sangha, also urged the government to formulate a structured policy framework for guest lecturers. An office bearer said the absence of a fixed policy has created uncertainty, with guest faculty forced to undergo repeated selection processes at the end of each academic session despite working throughout the year.
The organisations said they would continue to press the state government to address the issue and introduce a sustainable mechanism to ensure adequate staffing in colleges.