Anna University finds itself in a challenging predicament: the ongoing, drawn-out process of hiring new teachers for its many vacant posts is having a significant impact. This prolonged delay has compelled the university administration to implement drastic measures, including scaling back the number of post-graduate programs offered.
Prior to the current academic year, Anna University took the difficult decision to temporarily suspend at least 20 post-graduate programs. This was a direct consequence of critically low student enrollment, with many programs failing to attract even half of their sanctioned capacity.
For several years now, Tamil Nadu’s leading technological institution has been operating at a significant disadvantage, with barely two-thirds of its approved faculty strength. Out of a sanctioned total of 988 teachers, a staggering 400 positions have remained unfilled. The last time the university successfully recruited new staff was in 2023, bringing in just 134 teachers.
To mitigate the severe faculty shortage, the university has brought on board 20 retired professors from various Central and State universities, appointing them as Professors Emeritus. Their crucial role is to instruct first-year students in foundational subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
Furthermore, Anna University extended an invitation for applications to fill 40 ‘Professors of Practice’ roles, primarily targeting experts from the industry. These new faculty members are expected to lead teaching and research in cutting-edge domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change, Nanotechnology, Cloud Computing, and Quantum Computing. Interestingly, the initiative has garnered significant interest, with over a hundred applications already submitted, according to university sources.
Experts warn that these persistent faculty vacancies have directly and negatively impacted Anna University’s standing in prestigious global assessments like the QS World University Rankings, as well as India’s own National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
Back in February of last year, the university advertised 88 teaching positions, attracting approximately 3,000 applications. Subsequently, earlier this year, the Teachers’ Recruitment Board (TRB) – the body responsible for teacher selection across various sectors – convened a workshop, bringing together subject matter experts from across the nation to design the question paper for this anticipated recruitment exam. Despite these preparations, the examination date remains unscheduled, and attempts to reach TRB officials for comment were unsuccessful.
In a recent finance committee meeting, a significant resolution was passed to address the ongoing crisis: a proposal to fill an additional 200 vacancies. This vital resolution is slated for presentation to the Syndicate next month. Registrar J. Prakash clarified that the recruitment process would be streamlined this time, empowering the Teachers’ Recruitment Board to manage the entire process, from issuing advertisements and shortlisting candidates to conducting the examination and publishing the final rank list.