Alarming revelations have emerged about the state of higher education in Tamil Nadu, with reports indicating that nearly 90% of teaching posts in government arts and science colleges remain vacant. Out of around 10,500 sanctioned professor and assistant professor positions across the state’s 180 government colleges, only about 1,000 posts are currently filled. Educationists warn that the situation has reached a point of crisis, raising questions about the Tamil Nadu government’s commitment to maintaining academic quality in the higher education sector.
According to field reports, this acute shortage has persisted for nearly a decade, not a single new professor has been appointed in over 10 years. Despite Tamil Nadu’s reputation as one of India’s top-performing states in education, experts say the lack of faculty recruitment is eroding standards and overburdening existing staff.
The DMK government, now in its fourth and a half year in office, is under growing criticism for inaction. Former Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudi had earlier promised to fill 4,000 vacancies, but that assurance remains unfulfilled. Recently, Ponmudi announced that 2,708 professor posts would soon be filled, but educationists have dismissed this as inadequate and largely rhetorical. No government order or public recruitment notification has yet been issued, and with just six months to go for the state elections, questions are being raised over whether the process will even begin.
While thousands of PhD graduates wait in limbo for appointments, lakhs of students continue to enroll in these institutions each year, hoping for quality education. Experts argue that the lack of qualified faculty undermines these aspirations.
Despite the shortage, the government has opened 37 new government arts and science colleges during this tenure, an expansion that has been welcomed as a positive step, allowing about 15,000 additional students to enroll. However, no proportionate increase in faculty strength has accompanied this growth. As a result, the gap between student numbers and teacher availability has widened further.
#NewsUpdate | புதிய 37 கல்லூரிகள் – பேராசிரியர்கள் “0”
கடந்த 4 ஆண்டுகளில் தமிழகத்தில் 37 புதிய அரசு கலை அறிவியல் கல்லூரிகள் திறக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக தகவல்
தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள 103 அரசு கலை அறிவியல் கல்லூரிகளில் முதல்வரே இல்லை என குற்றச்சாட்டு
பொறுப்பு முதல்வர்களை கொண்டு அரசு கலை… pic.twitter.com/7ztwOwGVNv
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Educationists also point out that since guest lecturers are appointed directly without formal recruitment procedures, reservation policies are being bypassed, undermining the principle of social justice that Tamil Nadu’s education system has long prided itself on.
This has led to concerns that the quality of instruction and inclusiveness of the higher education system are deteriorating simultaneously. “The shortage of qualified faculty is not just an academic issue — it’s a social justice issue too,” one education expert observed.
Ironically, Tamil Nadu continues to lead the country in Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for higher education – 51%, compared to the national average of 29%. The Government of India’s target is to reach 45% by 2030-35; a figure Tamil Nadu has already surpassed. This success has been credited to progressive policies over the past decades including free laptops, scholarships, and monthly aid schemes, introduced by both DMK and AIADMK governments.
However, educationists warn that without urgent recruitment of around 9,500 professors, these achievements may soon be overshadowed by a collapse in teaching quality and institutional credibility.
Parents, students, and academic experts are now collectively urging the government to take immediate steps to fill the vacancies. They stress that Tamil Nadu’s long-standing reputation as a national leader in higher education depends not just on access and enrollment, but on ensuring that every classroom has a qualified teacher at its helm.
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