Tripura Guest Lecturers Sangh raises faculty crisis issue, demands service regularisation
The Tripura Guest Lecturer Sangh, a branch of the Tripura NET-SLET-Ph.D. Forum, has raised alarm over the alleged deteriorating state of higher education in Tripura.
The organisation leaders outlined two key demands to address the crisis.
In a press conference held in Agartala on Sunday, the association highlighted critical challenges, including an acute shortage of faculty in state colleges, the neglect of qualified guest lecturers, and the adverse impact on students' academic performance.
One of the primary issues raised by the members of the Sangh was the glaring shortfall of faculty members in the state’s higher education institutions.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Sumon Ali, General Secretary of the Tripura NET-SLET-Ph.D. Forum mentioned, according to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, Tripura’s 25 general degree colleges and 5 professional institutions require 2,100 faculty members to maintain the prescribed student-teacher ratio.
However, the state currently employs only 388 permanent faculty members, leaving a staggering deficit.
He said, despite a significant increase in the number of colleges since 2001, no additional faculty positions have been created to meet the growing demand. Recruitment efforts have also been dismal, with only 91 permanent faculty members appointed in the last seven years. Moreover, 273 vacant positions remain unfilled due to delays in the recruitment process, the guest lecturers claimed.
Even as the reliance on guest lecturers has grown due to the shortage of permanent faculty, the Sangh members claimed the guest lecturers often face financial and professional discrimination.
"Guest lecturers receive meager salaries that are often delayed, leaving many struggling to make ends meet", Ali claimed.
Moreover, he also pointed out that guest lecturers are overburdened with Duties with little acknowledgment or support.
The Sangh members criticized the state government for offering remuneration far below UGC-recommended levels, calling it “financial discrimination.”
As the impact of these issues on students is undeniable, Ali and other Forum leaders remarked, “Higher education in Tripura is at a crossroads. Without immediate intervention, we risk compromising the future of our students and the credibility of our institutions,”
To address the crisis, they urged the government to appoint qualified guest lecturers as permanent faculty members without delay.
Besides, the Forum also called for the immediate creation of additional faculty positions to align with UGC norms and meet the growing demands of the education system.
(Tripura, Northeast)
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