Faculty numbers dip 2.34 lakh in 3 years

Faculty numbers dip 2.34 lakh in 3 years

News:

1. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2017-18,  total number of faculty members in higher educational institutions in India has come down.

Important facts:

2. The All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2017-18 pointed out:

• Total number of teachers in higher education institutions in India has come down by about 2.34 lakh in the last three years.
• As per the figures, total number of teachers stood as:

1. In 2017-18: 12.84 lakh
2. In 2016-17: 13.65 lakh
3. In 2015-16: 15.18 lakh
4. Between 2011-12 and 2015-16, the number has been rising from 12.47 lakh to 15. 18 lakh.

3. Reasons  for decline in teachers numbers:

• Retiring professors are not being replaced.
• Sanctioned post not being filled in State universities.
• In Central universities, these posts are not being filled by the universities despite availability of sanctioned posts and funds.
• As per the 2017-18 figures, the teachers who provided their Aadhaar numbers were shown as teachers from this year on wards.
• In this context, the MoHRD said “occurring and filling up of vacancies is a continuous process. Universities being autonomous institutions, the onus of filling up vacant teaching posts lies with them”.