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With 65% teaching posts vacant, Madras University students fear academic setbacks
With 65% teaching posts vacant, Madras University students face academic setbacks Premium
Krishnamoorthy (name changed) is a first-year master's student in the Humanities and Social Sciences at one of the country's oldest and most prestigious institutions, the University of Madras. He and about half a dozen of his friends are worried about their fate tied to university examinations scheduled for mid-December. As 65% of sanctioned teaching posts remain vacant in the university, students express concerns about the part of syllabus left untaught, leaving them unprepared and unsure.
Mr. Krishnamoorthy recalls how he had been full of enthusiasm when he joined the programme. Along with seven core subjects, he had eagerly chosen two electives. He expected classrooms bringing diverse perspectives, in-depth discussions, and the kind of academic life that alumni, including former Presidents, Nobel laureates, and renowned academicians and scientists, had often described.
But to his surprise, the classes that were originally scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., often ran only from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and even within that shortened schedule, one or two classes would sometimes be cancelled at the last minute. He points out that this inconsistency stems from his department having only two full-time Assistant Professors, one of whom is also the Head in-charge of Department—and that professor is set to retire later this year. Besides them, the department depends on two guest lecturers, who end up covering most of the syllabus. The Head in-charge is occupied with administrative work for much of the day and handles only one subject, while the other Assistant Professor teaches at least two subjects.
In addition to the core subjects, Mr. Krishnamoorthy has two electives, which are taught by Teaching-cum-Research Fellows—Ph.D. scholars. A master's programme typically consists of core courses, elective courses, soft-skill courses, an internship, and a dissertation. While students may choose electives from other departments based on their interests, the faculty shortage here has resulted in these courses frequently being taught by research fellows instead of regular teaching staff.
The concerns raised by Mr. Krishnamoorthy and his classmates echo those of students in many other departments as well. According to a Right to Information response obtained by advocate K. Arun Kumar in April this year and accessed by The Hindu, of the university's 71 departments and 22 centres, sixteen departments have only one faculty member, while twenty have just two. The sanctioned strength stands at 94 Professors, 127 Associate Professors, and 294 Assistant Professors — a total of 515 posts. However, only 63 Professors, 20 Associate Professors, and 97 Assistant Professors are currently in position, which means barely 180 posts are filled, leaving more than 65% of the sanctioned posts vacant.
While students complain about academic challenges such as the lack of multiple perspectives, limited in-depth discussions, and incomplete coverage of the syllabus, the faculty say they are aware of these issues but point out that the burden of work has become overwhelming.
In one of the oldest and legacy-rich departments in the country, a professor, Kalam (name changed), recalls joining the University of Madras in 2004. According to him, the approved strength for the department was seven faculty members: one Professor, two Associate Professors, and four Assistant Professors. But, at that time, his department had five professors, including himself, to teach around 40 students enrolled in the master's programme across the first and second years. He says that over the years, their five-member faculty has dwindled to just one. “The only recruitment we had was around 2014, and that colleague retired last academic year. I too will be retiring in the next couple of years.”
“Even today, despite all the challenges, the student strength remains roughly the same,” he added. But he points out that the sharp decline in faculty has had a serious impact on research admissions. Under University Grant Norms (UGC) norms, an Assistant Professor can guide up to four Ph.D. candidates, an Associate Professor can guide six, and a Professor can guide eight at any given time. “Back then, when we had a good faculty strength, we had a healthy number of Ph.D. scholars coming from our department,” he says, “But now, with only me left in the department, there are just four scholars — which is also the total Ph.D. strength of the discipline today from our department.”
He explains that the department is getting by with the help of guest faculty and adds that the university has recruited four people. However, he points out that the role of guest lecturers is limited. Since he is the only full time Assistant Professor and also the Head in-charge of the department, he must handle administrative work, mentor students through their internships and dissertations, conduct seminars, and teach two subjects for each class. “At times, I even have to take classes for the first and second-year students together,” he notes.
Apart from students in his own department, around 70 students from other departments also choose his discipline as an elective. He adds that, besides all this, he is also expected to write and publish research work, guide Ph.D. scholars, and complete personal, government, or sponsored projects as agreed upon.
A guest lecturer from one of the university's departments, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, shares that they are paid around ₹30,000, while teaching-cum-research assistants receive a little over ₹15,000. He points out that the university continues to rely on them at such low wages, even as full-time recruitment remains stalled.
A university professor, who is also a member of the teachers' association, shares that the crisis stems from two sides. Half of the problem, he says, is the absence of a Vice-Chancellor. The University of Madras has had no Vice-Chancellor since mid-2023, and the matter is currently before the Supreme Court, where the State government and the Governor are contesting their respective powers to appoint Vice-Chancellors in State-run universities.
The other half of the crisis, he notes, is the failure to conduct regular recruitment year after year, which has allowed vacancies to steadily accumulate. According to an earlier report in The Hindu, the University of Madras had even been unable to print or distribute mark statements and provisional certificates to students graduating from its affiliated colleges because it lacked the funds to purchase stationery and get them printed. He adds that the university's ongoing financial distress further complicates the process of filling these vacant posts now.
Along with this, the Tamil Nadu Federation of University Faculty Associations has submitted a representation to the State government, requesting that the retirement age for faculty members in Government Universities be raised from 60 to 65 years. This has already been implemented in five other States, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Such a move, he argues, could temporarily help not only the University of Madras but also several other State-run public universities in Tamil Nadu grappling with similar issues of large vacancies and impending retirements.
A mail has been sent to the University of Madras registrar seeking a response, and we are yet to receive a response.
(This is written by Bhaskar Basava, an independent journalist based in Hyderabad, covering politics, human rights, and environmental issues, primarily from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He is now expanding his work to include education across all States.)
(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu's weekly education newsletter.)
Published - December 01, 2025 07:00 pm IST
university / Chennai
Source: The Hindu
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