Jammu and Kashmir’s universities face a severe faculty shortage, with around 40% of teaching posts vacant across nine public and two central universities. Over 3,300 posts exist, but only about 1,900 are filled. High student enrollment and reliance on local teachers strain academic functioning, while central universities have a higher share of non-local faculty.

Jammu: About a dozen universities in Jammu and Kashmir are grappling with a severe faculty shortage, with around 40 per cent teaching posts lying vacant, according to official data.

Figures provided by the Higher Education Department show that more than 3,300 teaching posts are sanctioned across nine public universities and two central universities functioning under the aegis of Union Ministry of Education, while only around 1,900 are in position, leaving a large gap that has forced several institutions to function with far below their approved strength.

The data shows that the University of Jammu has 252 teachers in position against 442 sanctioned posts, leaving around 43 per cent vacancies, while the University of Kashmir has 373 teachers against 570 sanctioned posts, a shortage of about 35 per cent.

In agricultural universities, SKUAST-Jammu has 237 teachers against 411 sanctioned posts, nearly 42 per cent vacant, while SKUAST-Kashmir has 424 in position against 540 sanctioned posts, leaving about 21 per cent posts unfilled.