Osmania University faces teacher crisis

Hyderabad: Osmania University might face a severe teaching staff crunch in the next couple of years if the government does not act immediately.

Of the 1,223 sanctioned teaching posts, 554 are still vacant. Of the 669 working staff, about 70 will retire by the end of this academic year. Simultaneously another 150 are expected to retire in the following academic year.

Going by this rate, 70 per cent of the varsity’s teaching staff will have retired by 2018.

There are over 70 assistant professors as contract employees who belong to the Telangana University Teachers Association. Added to this, the post of a permanent VC has been vacant since July.

With the Osmania University going to celebrate its centenary celebrations in 2018, things look a little laidback.

“Though Osmania University has been acknowledged by the TRS government for having played a significant role in the achievement of a separate Telangana state and given that the second phase of struggle actually started from here, perhaps there has been very little done in the last four months for the university and the plight of the university remains the same,” commented a research scholar.

Professor Laxmaiah from the university however said that the problem might not be that grave, “Up to 2019, I do not sense a problem.

About 50 per cent staff will definitely be there and we have the contract employees’ faculty who are also working. If more apply, depending on their qualifications, their scores and ability, they will be hired.”

Whereas Mr Bandari Veera Babu, president, Telangana University Teachers Association (TUTA) said, “Of the 300 members across Telangana, about 70 are working at OU.

We have been waiting for the promise in the election manifesto of regularising our tenure to be fulfilled. But it is still pending.”