Reforms in teacher recruitments in varsities in the offing

V.Balakista Reddy

| Photo Credit: HANDOUT_E_MAIL

The Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) plans to bring in several reforms in higher education with the focus on teacher recruitment, says chairman V. Balakista Reddy, who believes teachers are the pillars of quality education. In an interview with The Hindu, he outlines plans to strengthen the recruitment process to enhance teaching standards.

Q. Can you explain how you plan to shape the Teacher Recruitment Board and how it would enhance the recruitment process in universities and colleges?

A. I plan to propose the establishment of a Teacher Recruitment Board to oversee the recruitment of teachers and CAS promotions in universities and colleges. This Board will also administer a test for hiring contract teachers, ensuring that universities and colleges follow due procedures rather than hiring without accountability. This Board would help us to eliminate irregularities in the recruitment process, if any.

Q. How will you ensure transparency and reduce irregularities in the teacher recruitment process?

A. Some irregularities are reported to have occurred with regard to the recruitment of teachers in some universities, including in CAS promotions. The UGC Regulations are broad in nature, leaving a gap that needs to be filled with transparent procedures. Looking at these gaps, the Council will develop a detailed recruitment procedure, covering everything from the identification of vacancies to the dispatching of appointment letters and the conduct of CAS promotions. These procedures will help eliminate irregularities in the recruitment in universities.

Q. Are there any plans to streamline teaching positions and enhance course viability in universities?

A. Some universities are operating with insufficient student enrolment in certain courses, and lack of teachers in several departments, and without regular teachers in self-financing courses. We plan to develop guidelines for streamlining the teaching posts based on a standardised teacher-student ratio applicable to all universities. This approach will help to accurately assess the need for teachers in universities and facilitate the transfer of excess vacant posts to departments and self-financing courses where they are required.

We will also study the viability of courses and their employment opportunities. We would like to review the continuation of courses with only single-digit students and an excessive number of teachers for such programmes. We will also consider the possibility of hiring teachers for non-demand courses on a five-year contract, which will include all service benefits such as pay, allowances, and increments.

Based on their performance and the number of admissions to their courses, these contracts may be renewed for an additional five years. This strategy aims to prevent teachers from remaining idle for extended periods in non-demanding courses.