Staff Shortage at KU: Nearly 20% Posts Vacant, Including 200+ Teaching Roles
Srinagar, Apr 14 (KNO): The University of Kashmir (KU) is currently grappling with a shortage of around 20 per percent of its teaching and administrative staff, which is having a negative impact on both the academic quality and administrative functioning of the institution.
As reported by the Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Public Information Officer (PIO), in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Kumar Sharma, revealed that as of February 29, 2024, out of 2,859 sanctioned positions at the university, at least 570 remain vacant.
The Public Information Officer (PIO) stated that out of 56 approved professor positions at the University of Kashmir, only 9 have been filled, leaving 47 vacancies.
Similarly, in the associate professor category, just 29 out of 120 sanctioned posts are currently occupied, with 91 still lying vacant. For assistant professors, 80 of the 371 sanctioned positions remain unfilled.
Additionally, the PIO noted that out of the seven sanctioned director-level roles, only two have been appointed so far.
Furthermore, the university has not appointed deans for vital bodies such as the College Development Council and the Directorate of Students’ Welfare. Posts for academic coordinators and research fellows also remain vacant that are affecting the coordination and academic planning.
According to RTI, 110 out of 180 posts of junior assistant are lying vacant. In technical and specialist categories, the university is functioning without assistant programmers, auditors, Hindi typists, and junior engineers, undermining the university’s ability to provide essential support services.
It also reveals that the Physical Education Department is operating without two deputy directors and three assistant directors. In the Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance, one deputy director and three assistant director posts remain vacant.
The Institute of Music and Fine Arts (IMFA) is functioning without a principal, and only three out of seven senior instructor positions are currently filled. The Nursing Department also awaits key appointments of a professor-cum-principal, two assistant professors, and three tutors. The university has also 9 assistant librarian posts vacant—(KNO)
