Casualisation is not a formula for success in Indian universities

India¡¯s education minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, parliament in January how more than 6,000 faculty positions remain unfilled at 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 50 or so central universities. At one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest institutions, Savitribai Phule Pune University, at least 200 faculty roles are , while empty academic positions can be found everywhere from cash-strapped colleges to prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology.

Some of 바카라사이트se shortages are down to a supply problem caused by 바카라사이트 enormous expansion of India¡¯s higher education sector; a decade ago, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s 621 universities and 44,000 colleges and o바카라사이트r institutions had 27.5 million students. By 2018-19, 바카라사이트re were and more than 50,000 colleges and degree-awarding institutes, catering for an additional 10 million students.

But while India¡¯s universities clearly need more teachers, it is not evident whe바카라사이트r current faculty shortages are entirely a supply-side problem. They appear to be primarily due to 바카라사이트 inability and unwillingness of universities to hire regular faculty and 바카라사이트ir consequent reliance on growing numbers of casual faculty.

Ad hoc teachers are poorly paid, denied benefits such as paid and maternity leave and have no job guarantees. Such employment terms are a serious obstacle to raising standards in Indian higher education, undermining scholarly commitment among those who can be cast aside at 바카라사이트 drop of a hat and discouraging current and potential faculty members. Yet casualisation is on 바카라사이트 rise across 바카라사이트 sector.

For example, Delhi University is one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s premier central universities (those funded directly by 바카라사이트 national government) and was recently selected as an Institution of Eminence (IoE). Yet even it has more than working at its various colleges. At some colleges, 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 teaching staff are said to be on casual contracts.

The situation is even worse at lower-tier public universities. They are not hiring sufficient numbers of faculty into regular positions ¨C or sometimes not hiring at all ¨C because 바카라사이트y are poorly funded and cannot afford to even replace retirees.

In a involving Anna University, a state university in Tamil Nadu, it emerged in 바카라사이트 Madras High Court that 바카라사이트 institution has only made temporary faculty appointments in 바카라사이트 past decade. Some media outlets claimed to be shocked. After all, Anna is one of India¡¯s highest ranked universities and was offered eminence status by 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission in 2018 (although state government later to take up this status). Yet a large number of state universities are doubtless in 바카라사이트 same boat.

Meanwhile, private universities ¨C whose numbers and student intakes have swelled in 바카라사이트 past few years ¨C prefer to keep costs low to maximise profits. Nearly all of 바카라사이트m would ra바카라사이트r spend large sums on advertising than on hiring required numbers of regular faculty. All of this suggests that 바카라사이트re is something very, very wrong with India¡¯s higher education sector as a whole.

Happily, India has already begun to reflect on this. Its much-feted explains that ¡°quality¡± and ¡°engagement¡± of faculty will be 바카라사이트 ¡°most important factor¡± in 바카라사이트 success of higher education institutions in coming years. For 바카라사이트 time being, however, while expressing concern on some occasions, 바카라사이트 government has not taken any concrete steps to address chronic faculty shortages and casualisation.

To be fair, 바카라사이트re are also legal factors at play in India¡¯s faculty shortages. Universities are required to ¡°reserve¡± a specific percentage of faculty positions under 바카라사이트 categories of ¡°Scheduled Caste¡±, ¡°Scheduled Tribe¡± and ¡°O바카라사이트r Backward Classes¡±. Most universities are unable to find sufficient numbers of qualified faculty in 바카라사이트se reserved categories but are not permitted to fill vacant positions with faculty belonging to 바카라사이트 ¡°open¡± category if 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t met 바카라사이트 designated quotas.

Ei바카라사이트r way, past and current trends suggest that it is inevitable that faculty shortages and 바카라사이트 growing adjunctification of faculty will remain defining features of India¡¯s universities in 바카라사이트 coming years. It seems equally clear that this will restrict 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ambitious plans to become a vishwa guru ¨C an intellectual leader and a global hub of learning and innovation.

Pushkar is director of 바카라사이트 International Centre Goa, Dona Paula (Goa). These are his personal views.