SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir is facing a shortage of non-teaching staff, leaving over 500 positions unfilled since 2016 due to a lack of recruitment, reported The Excelsior. This staff deficiency is directly affecting the university’s ability to carry out its academic and administrative duties.
University officials familiar with the situation, while speaking to The Excelsior said that out of the total 2,450 sanctioned non-teaching positions, including those at satellite campuses, only 1,900 are currently occupied. The remaining 550 positions have been vacant since 2016, primarily due to retirements of employees.
This problem is compounded by an annual exodus of 70-80 non-teaching employees retiring, further worsening the staffing shortage. Several university departments are particularly impacted by this crisis, including the Watch and Ward section, sanitation, hostels, examination wing, and landscape division, all of which are dealing with 30-40 vacancies each.
The administrative block, Alama Iqbal Library, and the research centre are also affected, with nearly 100 technical positions remaining unfilled. These vacant positions include roles like laboratory assistants, lab attendants, junior technical assistants, professional assistants, and computer assistants.
These vacancies have significantly affected the science department, impeding crucial research work. “Some heads of departments have had to engage ad hoc assistants to compensate for the staff shortage, while in other cases, HODs are forced to take on clerical duties due to the lack of essential support,” said a senior Professor.
The issue extends to the Physical Education Department, where critical roles, such as the women’s gym coach and sports assistant, remain unfilled, posing risks to the safety of female students. “If the current trend of positions going vacant continues, it is projected that nearly 50 percent of positions will remain unoccupied,” a Professor said to The Excelsior.
He emphasised that non-teaching staff members play a vital role in the university’s operations and research activities. However, he lamented that this issue has been neglected since 2016, with no recruitment efforts taking place.
Despite the university’s attempts to address the issue by advertising nearly 80 positions in May this year, an official revealed that the recruitment process has made limited progress. “The university released various notices this year to fill multiple vacancies, including Junior Assistants, Legal Assistants, and Research Assistants. However, the process has stalled for undisclosed reasons,” he explained. He added that non-teaching positions typically involve only a written test, with no interviews required.
The delay in the recruitment process has caused growing frustration among applicants who eagerly await examination schedules and appointment finalizations. “I have been diligently preparing for the exams over the past five months, but unfortunately, there have been no significant developments. I sincerely hope that the recruitment process is expedited to ease the concerns of aspiring candidates,” one applicant from Budgam said.
Nelofar Khan, Vice Chancellor of the University, has declared that her top priority is to fill the vacant posts. “We were occupied with the University convocation, and now that we have successfully completed it, we will commence filling the vacant posts from next month,” she added.
