Discourses From the East
A prolonged halt in faculty recruitment, widening dependence on contractual teachers and a series of controversial policy proposals have created deep uncertainty for thousands of young scholars across the state. For nearly eighteen months, the recruitment of Assistant Professors in government and provincialised colleges has been completely stagnant. NET and SLET-qualified candidates, Ph.D. holders and experienced researchers have been left waiting without any clarity on when the process will resume. Many describe the psychological, financial and professional strain as overwhelming. Years of academic preparation are being lost to an administrative silence that shows no sign of lifting.
According to the Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA), the teacher student ratio in many colleges is now critically low. Large sections of undergraduate teaching are being sustained by contractual faculty earning between ₹5,000 and ₹8,000 a month. The situation has forced many highly qualified young academics into difficult choices. Ph.D. holders are pursuing B.Ed degrees simply to secure school-level jobs. NET and SLET-qualified scholars are preparing for APSC, ADRE and other Grade III examinations that fall far below their academic expertise. Others have joined Ph.D. programmes again to remain connected to academics or continue teaching on contract for a fraction of what they deserve. The loss of productivity and confidence among this group is severe.
THE SECTOR AT A TURNING POINT:
More than 520 reserved teaching posts in Assam’s government colleges and universities are still vacant, along with 775 general category positions. This severe shortage, highlighted in the Assam Legislative Assembly, shows how urgently the state needs a major recruitment drive. At the same time, young academics continue to face uncertainty. Regular appointments for Assistant Professors have remained frozen for over a year, leaving thousands of NET/SLET-qualified scholars, Ph.D. holders and post-doctoral researchers dependent on salaries as low as ₹5,000–8,000 a month. While new policies create more space for retired faculty, highly qualified young researchers are losing the most productive years of their careers. Assam cannot afford this gap. Colleges and universities now rely heavily on temporary teachers, which weaken academic quality and goes against the spirit of NEP 2020. The recruitment freeze must be lifted, and advertisements released without delay. A stable, fair system is essential for students, institutions and the future of higher education in the state.
The crisis deepens with the draft Assam College Employees (Provincialisation) Rules 2024, which has drawn widespread criticism. Academics argue that the draft overlooks the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, fails to recognise research experience and proposes a general-knowledge based recruitment exam unsuited for subject-specific college teaching. There is also uncertainty around probation, confirmation and domicile safeguards.
Equally worrying are the recruitment guidelines for the Government Model Degree Colleges and new streams in existing institutions. Several provisions have raised serious concerns:
• Departments with three sanctioned posts are being staffed in a 2:1 ratio that favours retired faculty over new applicants.
• Retired professors are offered ₹1 lakh per month, while new appointees receive ₹50,000 during three-year probation despite carrying full workload.
• The involvement of local MLAs in selection committees risks politicising recruitment.
• Non-teaching posts remain contractual, with salaries of ₹20,000 or less and no scope for regularisation.
• Heavy dependence on retired faculty reduces opportunities for young scholars and undermines long-term academic development.
These decisions are felt across campuses. Research output is falling, classroom engagement is strained and the overall quality of higher education is facing lasting damage. Assam has created several new universities since 2023, including Sibsagar University, Bongaigaon University, Nagaon University, Gurucharan University, Jagannath Barooah University and North Lakhimpur University. Recently approved institutions like Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University and Chaulung Su-Ka-Pha University reflect the government’s push to expand infrastructure.
But expansion alone cannot strengthen the sector. Many colleges still lack basic academic resources. Libraries have no digital collections, no access to Scopus or similar databases and no research software such as SPSS, R or Stata. Science laboratories remain poorly equipped, leaving students dependent on outdated practical work. Skill-building workshops are rare even though many capable research scholars across universities could contribute.
NEP 2020 emphasises research, innovation and industry partnership, but these goals cannot be achieved without supporting research scholars, trained faculty and Ph.D. holders. While many developed countries encourage undergraduate research, students in Assam often work with outdated laboratory setups due to a lack of proper facilities.
There are also gaps in course offerings. Despite CBCS and the Four-Year Degree Programme, many colleges do not offer core subjects such as Sociology, Anthropology, Sanskrit, Environmental Science or Geography. Without adequate subject choices, CBCS cannot function meaningfully.
The teacher shortage has widened over the past year. Student numbers continue to rise, but new posts have not been created for many years. Colleges are only allowed to fill vacancies created by retirement, which restricts academic growth and blocks new appointments.
Organisations such as the Assam College Teachers’ Association and the Assam College Principals’ Council have a crucial role in raising these concerns. Civil society also needs to be more aware of what is happening inside higher education institutions, as most of these issues remain unnoticed outside academic circles.
To safeguard the future of higher education in Assam, urgent measures are needed. Recruitment must resume immediately. The provincialisation rules require a thorough review to align them with NEP 2020 and UGC norms. Selection should remain merit-based, giving appropriate weight to academic qualifications and research work. Pay structures need to be fair, and young scholars should receive the same opportunities offered to retired faculty. Non-teaching staff also deserve stable employment and dignified wages.
Assam’s higher education system is at a turning point. If these concerns remain unresolved, the state risks losing an entire generation of researchers and teachers. With timely reforms, Assam can build institutions that support learning, innovation and social progress. The time to act is now, before the damage becomes irreversible.
Vacancy and Shortage of Teachers and Staff in Colleges: A Post-Wise View:
According to the Assam College Employees (Provincialisation) Rules 2024, colleges have a sanctioned strength of 10,028 Assistant Professor posts. This is the core academic workforce meant to handle most of the teaching across subjects.
While the Rules outline large sanctioned numbers for other posts—such as 251 Principals, 215 Librarians, 196 Junior Assistants, 213 Library Assistants, 81 Laboratory Assistants, 911 Laboratory Bearers, and 1,393 Grade-IV staff—the most critical gap remains in teaching positions.
A significant share of the 10,028 Assistant Professor posts is still vacant. Recruitment has been slow for years, and many colleges depend heavily on contractual or temporary teachers to keep classes running. With permanent faculty missing, the teaching load increases sharply, research activity declines, and departments struggle to maintain academic standards. The sanctioned numbers show the system is designed for a full teaching workforce, but the shortage of Assistant Professors continues to be the biggest obstacle to improving the quality of higher education in the state.
BUDGET 2025–26: HIGHER EDUCATION STILL OVERLOOKED:
The Assam Budget 2025–26 announces new universities, cultural grants, and 5,550 teaching positions, but largely overlooks the urgent needs of existing colleges. Long-standing freezes on Assistant Professor Recruitment, widespread vacancies, and the heavy reliance on low-paid contractual faculty remain unaddressed. While higher education struggles with inadequate faculty, poor infrastructure, and limited research support, the budget continues to prioritise primary and secondary education.
The previous year’s budget (2024–25) also focused heavily on school education. Major allocations included Rs 6,650 crore for government primary schools and Rs 5,884 crore for non-government secondary schools. The Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina scheme, aimed at supporting 10 lakh girl students, provided one-time incentives of Rs 10,000 for class 11, Rs 12,500 for graduation, and Rs 15,000 for postgraduates who join government colleges. Initiatives such as ICT labs, smart classrooms, and the Samagra Shiksha Axom program further emphasised access, equity, and technology in schools.
While these programs are important, they highlight the continuing imbalance: the state invests heavily in primary and secondary education but provides limited support to colleges that are facing critical shortages and declining academic quality. Expanding new universities and providing cultural grants without strengthening existing higher education institutions risks widening the gap in teaching quality, research output, and student learning. Urgent, targeted investment in faculty recruitment, infrastructure, and research support is essential to prevent the higher education sector from further decline.
Despite considerable investment and expansion, Assam’s higher education system is under-stress: the Gross Enrolment Ratio has plateaued around 17–18 %, indicating that new colleges and universities alone haven’t meaningfully increased participation. Many institutions suffer from infrastructure deficits especially in rural areas, with outdated facilities and a lack of labs or libraries and there’s a serious shortfall of qualified faculty, undermining both access and quality. Meanwhile, to cope with under-enrollment, the government is halting teacher hiring’s in low-student departments and clustering small colleges, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.
