SRINAGAR: Several crucial administrative and academic positions at Kashmir University remain vacant, prompting growing concern among faculty and institutional stakeholders who say the prolonged gaps are affecting teaching, research, examinations, and day-to-day governance across campuses.
According to official sources, key posts such as Director of Physical Education, Director of IT and SS, Director of DIQA, Director of South Campus, Director of Kupwara Campus, Director of the Convocation Complex, Director of EMMRC, Controller of Examinations, and Director of Zakura Campus are currently unfilled. Three Joint Registrar positions, including those at the north and south campus, are also vacant. Many of these vital roles are being handled as additional charges by senior faculty members or through temporary in-charge arrangements. “This arrangement affects teaching and research because Senior Professors are overloaded,” an official said.
The administrative gaps extend further. The post of Additional Controller of Examinations remains vacant, and the University Health Centre has not filled two pharmacist posts that fell vacant due to superannuation. The only male doctor retired in 2013, even though “more than 60 per cent of the staff and students are male,” an official confirmed.
More than 12 Assistant Registrar posts are currently unfilled. Although recruitment had been initiated, sources said the process “has been stopped for unknown reasons.” One Deputy Registrar post at the main campus and one each at the North and South campuses are also vacant, affecting administrative efficiency.
In the Public Relations wing, two PRO posts—one for the main campus and one for the Convocation Complex—remain vacant. The main campus PRO position has been unfilled since 2008, when the former PRO was terminated on corruption charges during the tenure of former Vice-Chancellor Wahid. A recent mass communication graduate expressed disappointment that “hundreds of students are waiting for these posts to be advertised, but currently the media advisor at PRC is from a linguistics background.”
Officials added that two Deputy Director posts in the Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, along with the Deputy Director and two Assistant Director positions at DIQA, are also lying vacant.
The Construction Division is functioning with severe shortages as well. Three Junior Engineer posts, two Work Supervisor posts, two Electrician posts, one Head Draftsman post, and five Plumber posts are vacant, weakening checks on civil and electrical works across campuses. “Contractors are using inferior material because monitoring of civil works and electric works has weakened,” a senior professor said.
Despite significant expansion of the university over the past two decades—including new departments and satellite campuses—officials said staff strength has not grown accordingly. They warned that more than 200 employees are set to retire in the next two years, creating the risk of further operational breakdown.
The Allama Iqbal Library is also hit hard, with two Deputy Librarians and eight Assistant Librarian positions unfilled. Staff members said shortages are “affecting the functioning of the central library.” Around 90 Junior Assistant positions are vacant across departments, forcing Heads of Departments to take on clerical duties. “From the last two to three years, more than 100 experienced employees have superannuated,” a senior professor noted.
Shortages extend into academic departments as well. Officials confirmed that five Laboratory Assistant posts in Science Departments, one Supervisor post in the landscape division, one Curator post in Zoology, one Lecture Assistant post, 10 Technical Assistant positions, and two Scientist posts remain unfilled.
Several senior staff members said the administration is not prioritising recruitment. “University authorities are not taking the recruitment of non-teaching posts for unknown reasons,” one senior official said, warning that delays are now affecting almost every key function—from teaching and research to examinations, library services, public relations, and infrastructure maintenance.
Kashmir University Registrar Naseer Iqbal said several major posts—including Director of Physical Education, Director of IT and SS, Director of DIQA, Director of South Campus, Director of Kupwara Campus, and Director of the Convocation Complex—have already been advertised and are expected to be filled within two to three months. He said the university is not currently processing Junior Assistant posts as the matter is sub judice, with the legal team contesting the case in court. “Because of the delay, several of our posts have been lying vacant, and therefore we have identified 20 new Junior Assistant positions, which will be advertised soon,” he said. “All the positions will be filled within a gap of 3 months.”
He added that the university will also advertise the post of PRO shortly.
