Jaipur: Five state-funded universities in Rajasthan are operating without a single permanent faculty member, exposing a severe crisis in higher education in the state. The revelation, based on official data from the higher education department, came during a review meeting chaired by Governor Haribhau Bagde earlier this week, and raised serious questions about the future of students studying there.The universities with zero permanent teachers include Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Shekhawati University in Sikar (2012), Rishi Raj Bharthari Matsya University in Alwar (2012), Maharaja Surajmal Brij University in Bharatpur (2012), Govind Guru Tribal University in Banswara, and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Law University in Jaipur (2019). These institutions rely almost entirely on teachers on deputation, most of who speciliase in humanities.Rajasthan has 32 state-funded universities, of which 16 fall under the higher education department. Of the 2,512 sanctioned teaching posts in these 16 universities, 1,597 remain vacant. Six universities, including the five named above, have no faculty at all. Rajasthan University, the state’s flagship institution, also struggles with a large number of vacancies.The five faculty-less universities were set up under former chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s tenure to improve the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) and launch job-oriented courses. However, the absence of teachers has reduced them to hollow structures, leaving students with poor-quality education and little academic support.“The state of higher education here is among the worst in the country. Successive govts must be held accountable for creating universities without recruiting teachers. Running institutions without faculty amounts to a criminal act against students,” said education expert Ravinder Singh.The number of posts sanctioned are 30 each in Bharatpur, Alwar, and Sikar, and 40 each in Banswara and Jaipur. A deputed teacher in Sikar admitted, “Since we are not permanent here, our involvement is minimal. Students also lose interest when they see there are no regular teachers.”The Higher Education Department has assured the Governor that corrective steps are being planned and recruitment will begin soon. “The delay is due to pending approvals from successive govts,” a senior official said.
