HRD taskforce to tackle faculty shortage in universities

Updated on: Monday, November 09, 2009

New Delhi: Having advanced the gross enrolment ratio in higher education to a highly ambitious 16% by the end of 11th Plan, HRD ministry has set up a new taskforce to come with a solution to deal with acute faculty shortage and work out an incentive plan aimed at better remuneration and greater societal respect.

To be headed by Sanjay Dhande, director, IIT-Kanpur, the taskforce will consist of K K Aggarwal, formerly of Indraprastha University, Delhi; V Kanan, pro vice-chancellor, Hyderabad University, and Chiranjib Sen of IIM-Ahmedabad. University Grants Commission secretary R K Chauhan will be the member-secretary. The taskforce is likely to give its interim report within a month.
UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat had informed Parliamentâ€™s consultative committee about the formation of the taskforce as a serious effort to deal with faculty shortage at a time when a major expansion of higher education is in progress. Ministry sources said faculty shortage had to be dealt with in a serious manner.

'Kapil Sibal has advanced the GER target of 16% to the end of 11th Plan and pegged 2016-17 target to 30%. It would mean massive recruitment of teachers in central and state universities. Therefore, there is a need to give it top priority,' a source said. The current GER is 7%-8%.

Dhande told the Times of India that the twin issues of faculty shortage and lack of incentive for college and university teachers had been afflicting higher education for a long time. 'Unlike the manufacturing sector where productivity is quantified, measurement of productivity of teachers is a difficult thing. We are collecting data,' Dhande said.

As for incentive, Dhande said, it was not only about salary but also respect. 'It is a broad issue. So there is a need to create a broad strategy and come with a solution that not only talks of financial remuneration but also carries respect. There is a need to reposition teaching profession. Only then more and more people will get attracted to it,' he said.

Dhande said the traditional rule of demand and supply was not working in case of higher education teaching.

'Remuneration is not high because of regulation. Whereas in unregulated market, salary is high but this has become uncontrolled. A way out has to be found,' he said.

HRD taskforce to tackle faculty shortage in universities

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