Telangana State aspires to be a knowledge hub sans talented teachers

Hyderabad: Can a State become a knowledge hub of global standards without talented teachers in its universities? A cursory look at the pathetic situation of unfilled faculty positions taking a toll on university education in the State for the past 25 years.

The university contract faculty have been kept waiting indefinitely for the past two decades. They say “around 25 people retired and 30 died while waiting for regularisation of their services.” As many as 1,600 teaching staff and 300 teachers are waiting for regularisation.

“We hoped our fate will change with the formation of Telangana. The Contract Assistant. Professors from Osmania University in September 2014 and from Kakatiya University in July 2022 submitted appeals/petitions to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for regularisation of services.

This follows the CM expressing that the world contract will not be heard in Telangana after its formation, says President of OU Contract Faculty Association Dr Dhramateja.

However, Dr Parushuramulu, State president of the University’s Contract Faculty Association, says it was due to obstructions created by officials that the CM’s assurance has gone awry so far with no sign of its implementation. Discrimination in payment of wages and other benefits despite working on a par with permanent faculty is atrocious, he rued.

While the Babus in higher echelons of power continue to get their due, Srikanth, working as a contract assistant professor in Osmania University’s engineering college, died due to Corona. He has a two-year-old daughter with his wife.

The contract assistant professors’ family did not receive any financial aid from the university after he died; even funeral expenses were not paid. The service rendered for ten years has not received even the slightest recognition. While eight contract assistant professors died due to various reasons in OU, none received financial assistance.

In another case, a contract assistant professor, Sulochana James, who worked in the Education department of OU, retired. After serving for about 18 years, she has not got any retirement benefits. At least such faculty were not even felicitated on the day of their retirement, which every teacher hopes on their last day of teaching. But she was sent out saying “your services are enough”.

In Kakatiya University the contract assistant professors are given Rs. 5 lakh severance pay if they retire. But, with a hundred years of glory, Osmania University, the contract faculty are considered non-entity and sent out, unlike in the case of KU.

Contract Assistant Professors JAC, State media coordinator Dr Ch Prandhamulu said the contract faculty have the same qualifications as regular teaching staff in universities, and work more hours than the regular staff.

According to latest data, 1,415 contract assistant professors are working in Osmania, Kakatiya, Telangana, Satavahana, Palamuru, Mahatma Gandhi, JNU Fine Arts, Ambedkar Open University, JNTUH, IT Basara University across the State.

The number of contract assistant professors is increasing.

In Osmania University, which once had 1,267 regular teaching staff, including assistant professors, associate professors and professors, their number has reduced to 376. The number of contract assistant professors has increased to 423. Of the 2,825 faculty posts sanctioned for all universities only 873 are working; 1,977 posts are vacant. As many as 1,415 faculties are working in contractual, self-financing courses. Osmania University has only 376 regular faculties out of 1,267.

Among them, there are not even a quarter of assistant professors and associate professors. There should be 55 professors at Kakatiya University; it is noteworthy that there is not even one person at present. There are only two out of 96 associate professors. assistant professors are also only one-third. As many as 170 are working here on a contract basis. Only 26 of the 79 professors are working in JNTUH.

There is not a single professor at Ambedkar University. It is noteworthy that there is not a single professor at RDUKT. As many as 179 faculty posts in women’s universities have been awarded; 25 were sent on deputation from Osmania.