The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has expressed concern over severe staff shortages at Ahmedabad’s Gujarat University, where more than half of the teaching posts remain vacant — a problem persisting for years.
Recruitment stalled
The university has not carried out major recruitment drives for either teaching or non-teaching positions in recent years. Most departments are functioning with ad-hoc or contract-based staff, while 110 faculty posts continue to remain vacant.
Although the university has sought the state government’s approval to fill new and long-pending vacancies, the process has been delayed indefinitely.
Administrative staff shortage
The situation is worse on the administrative side. Of the 594 sanctioned non-teaching posts, only 182 are filled, leaving 412 positions vacant. Officials said this shortage has affected daily operations, including exams, finance, and admissions.
Past recruitment attempts scrapped
The last major recruitment drive in 2022 was cancelled due to internal disputes. Later, after the implementation of the Common University Act in July 2023, all earlier recruitment processes were scrapped, and nearly ₹50 lakh collected as application fees were refunded. No new recruitment advertisements have been issued since.
With several retirements every year, vacancies continue to rise. Some departments are now left with just one or two teachers, while senior faculty posts remain largely vacant.
Fresh proposal to fill 110 posts
In a recent Executive Council meeting, the university approved a proposal to seek government permission to fill 110 academic posts, including 10 reserved for Divyang (disabled) candidates. The state government is expected to grant approval by December 2025.
NAAC impact
The NAAC inspection team noted that the large number of vacant teaching positions has negatively impacted Gujarat University’s overall grading.
Vacancy details:
| Category | Approved Posts | Filled | Vacant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | 210 | 100 | 110 |
| Administrative | 594 | 182 | 412 |
| Total | 804 | 282 | 522 |