Telangana Govt to Fill 500 Assistant Professor Posts in State Universities

The Telangana government is preparing to fill nearly 500 Assistant Professor positions across universities in the state. A clear announcement regarding the recruitment process is expected during the ongoing Budget sessions.

The government had earlier decided to continue the services of existing contract lecturers while proceeding with the recruitment of regular faculty to fill vacant posts. As part of this plan, the focus is now on appointing around 500 Assistant Professors in state-run universities.

Vacancy Position in Universities

At present, there are 2,994 sanctioned teaching posts across 13 state universities in Telangana. However, only 763 regular faculty members are currently in service. Alongside them, 1,174 contract lecturers and 544 part-time lecturers are handling academic responsibilities.

To ensure that contract lecturers are not adversely affected, the government intends to fill only the vacant Assistant Professor positions without disturbing the existing temporary staff arrangements.

GO 21 Guidelines and University Approvals

About a year ago, the Higher Education Department issued guidelines under Government Order (GO) 21, directing universities to fill Assistant Professor vacancies.

In institutions such as Osmania University, approval was granted to recruit around 250 Assistant Professors. Similarly, Kakatiya University received approval for 145 posts. Smaller numbers of vacancies were also cleared in universities like Satavahana University and Palamuru University. The respective university governing bodies have already passed resolutions approving these recruitments.

Files related to the appointments are currently under review at the Chief Minister’s Office.

Concerns Over GO 21 Provisions

Meanwhile, certain provisions in GO 21 have drawn objections from contract lecturers and unemployed candidates. Critics argue that some aspects of the order do not align with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms.

One of the major concerns raised concerns the weight given to PhD qualifications. At present, the guidelines allocate 10 marks for a PhD degree. Several stakeholders are demanding that this be increased to 30 marks to better reflect academic merit.

Part-time lecturers have also urged the government to recognize them as contract faculty members. The Telangana State Council of Higher Education has reportedly brought these concerns to the government’s attention, and officials are said to be considering revisions.

Possible Amendments and Next Steps

In light of these representations, the government is likely to introduce amendments to GO 21. Along with appointing permanent governing bodies in universities, the state administration aims to initiate the recruitment process at the earliest.

A comprehensive clarification on recruitment, policy changes, and related matters is expected to be announced during the Budget discussions.

Also read: Hyderabad Fire News: Blaze Destroys 15 Furniture Sheds in Pragathi Nagar