In 17 Madhya Pradesh Universities, 74% Assistant Professor Posts Are Vacant

The Madhya Pradesh government has revealed that 74 per cent of the sanctioned Assistant Professor posts in government universities remain vacant. Of the 1,069 sanctioned posts across 17 government universities, a staggering 793 have not been filled.

The disclosure came in a written reply by Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar to a question raised by Congress MLA Sanjay Uike in the Assembly. The reply reveals the alarming scale of faculty shortage, indicating a crumbling academic infrastructure across the state.

Even more shocking is the fact that five government universities in the state do not have a single Assistant Professor. These include: Raja Shankar Shah University (Chhindwara), Krantiveer Tatya Tope University (Guna), Kranti Surya Tantya Bhil University (Khargone), Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundelkhand University (Chhatarpur), Rani Avantibai Lodhi University (Sagar).

This implies that thousands of students are enrolled in institutions where not even one full-time assistant professor is present to teach them.

According to the minister's reply, 93 academic subjects are being run in various universities that have no assistant professors at all. Currently, only 276 Assistant Professors are responsible for teaching students in all 17 universities. 

Interestingly, this crisis is not limited to faculty positions alone. BJP MLA, Dr Chintamani Malviya, questioned the minister on librarian vacancies in government colleges. The government admitted that out of 582 sanctioned librarian posts, only 236 are filled, leaving 346 posts vacant.

In recent years, the state has opened several new universities with grand announcements and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. However, these institutions are now gasping under the weight of administrative negligence and staffing apathy. 

Campuses exist in name only without faculty, without resources, and without the academic leadership needed to shape future generations.