AP Government to Fill 3,371 University Faculty Posts; Notification Expected Soon
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a major recruitment drive for universities across the state. Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh revealed that the government plans to fill 3,371 vacant faculty posts in state universities within the next three months.
The minister stated that a fresh recruitment notification will be issued soon to fill these vacancies. The announcement has brought relief to thousands of candidates who have been waiting for faculty recruitment opportunities in universities.
Recruitment to Be Completed Within Three Months
Speaking in the Legislative Council, Minister Nara Lokesh said the government intends to fill the vacant teaching positions on a priority basis. The recruitment process will be taken up after addressing certain legal issues currently pending before the High Court.
The minister made the announcement while responding to a question raised by Legislative Council member Borra Gopimurthy regarding the number of vacant faculty positions in universities and the timeline for filling them.
According to the minister, there are currently 3,371 teaching posts lying vacant across universities in the state. Once the legal issues are resolved, the government will move ahead with issuing a fresh notification and completing the recruitment process within three months.
Earlier Notifications Faced Legal Issues
The minister explained that recruitment notifications had earlier been issued in 2018 and again in 2023. However, the 2023 notification faced legal challenges because vertical and horizontal reservation rules were not implemented properly.
Due to this issue, the High Court raised objections, which resulted in the recruitment process being halted. Lokesh said the government has already held multiple meetings with the Advocate General to discuss the matter in detail and identify a solution.
Following these discussions, the government has decided to issue a fresh notification after ensuring that all legal and reservation requirements are correctly followed.
Manpower Audit in Universities
Minister Lokesh also pointed out that certain appointments made during the previous government had political influences. Because of this, the government felt the need to conduct a comprehensive manpower audit in universities.
The audit will determine the actual staffing requirements in universities and identify the roles currently being performed by employees. The results of this audit will provide clarity on the staffing structure needed in higher education institutions.
Consideration for Contract Employees
The minister also addressed concerns regarding contract employees working in universities. He said the government is examining the issue of giving weightage to contract employees during recruitment and is currently seeking legal advice on the matter.
Regarding age relaxation for contract employees, Lokesh said a Group of Ministers (GoM) has already been formed to study the issue and recommend appropriate decisions.
Reforms in Higher Education
Lokesh stated that the government is committed to strengthening higher education in Andhra Pradesh. Along with filling vacancies, the government is planning to introduce several reforms to improve university administration and academic quality.
He said the government is also working to strengthen the commissionerates related to higher education and ensure better governance within universities.
Reference to Previous Recruitment Drive
The minister highlighted that the government had earlier completed the recruitment of 16,000 teacher posts through the DSC process within 150 days. He said the success of that recruitment drive was possible because the government corrected mistakes found in previous notifications.
Lokesh added that the same approach would be followed for university faculty recruitment as well. The government intends to treat the recruitment process seriously and complete it on a war footing.
Government Committed to Address Public Issues
The minister concluded by stating that the government remains committed to resolving public issues and improving the education sector. He assured that the recruitment process for the vacant university posts will be taken up with priority and completed as quickly as possible.
