Jammu: Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Faces Severe Faculty Shortage; Over 60% Teaching Posts Vacant
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district is grappling with a major faculty crisis, with 60.4% of its sanctioned teaching positions currently vacant — including all 22 professor-level posts.
The alarming shortfall has left junior faculty members struggling to manage the academic load, severely affecting the quality of education, RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma revealed on Wednesday.
Sharma had filed an RTI application in February, seeking information on vacant positions at the university. The response, received on Tuesday, painted a grim picture of the institution’s staffing situation.
According to the university’s reply, 80 assistant professors (across stages I, II, and III), 17 lecturers, and one teaching assistant are currently keeping the academic system afloat in the absence of senior faculty.
Sharma said the data shows 48 of the 50 associate professor posts and 72 of the 82 assistant professor posts remain vacant. “The university is operating with a bare minimum of junior-level staff,” he said.
Out of the 235 sanctioned teaching posts, 142 are vacant, marking a 60.4% faculty deficit.
The administrative side is equally strained. Of the total 358 sanctioned posts, 87 — including all four principal posts and the controller of examinations — are unfilled.
Among other unfilled positions are:
- Four sanctioned principal posts
- Two assistant registrar posts
- One each of controller of examination, assistant registrar (finance), medical officer, executive engineer, and assistant director (sports)
Additionally, 15 of the 17 tutor posts and 12 of 18 attendant/receptionist posts are vacant. The response also notes that three posts each of lab technicians and lab assistants are unfilled.
Other vacancies include:
- Three junior assistant posts
- One each of coordinator at regional offices (Srinagar and Kishtwar), senior library assistant, assistant security officer, placement assistant, extension scientist
- 19 general duty helper posts
Sharma said the extent of the vacancies raises serious concerns about the university’s ability to function both academically and administratively.
