3 years on, state to hire college, varsity teachers for 3,580 posts

MUMBAI: The state has decided to fill 3,580 positions, an estimated 40% of vacant positions for teachers in colleges and universities, ending its freeze on teacher recruitment after three years.

The decision, announced by education minister Vinod Tawde on Friday, comes weeks after thousands of college teachers across the state participated in a strike to press the government into accepting several of their demands, including appointing teachers to vacant posts. The state has also decided to increase the remuneration given to teachers appointed on clock-hour basis, fulfilling another demand of the protesting teachers.

“We are happy that the minis- ter made good on his assurance in such a short time,” said Tapati Mukhopadhyay, president, Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers’ Union, which led the agitation.

The state in 2015 had put a halt on creating new posts and filling existing posts to bring financial stability to the state by curbing the expenditure on employees. Another government resolution, issued in May last year, announced that the freeze will continue for respective departments until they take a stock of their existing posts and finalise a new administrative framework for the department.

The government has also announced to hire 163 librarians, 856 laboratory assistants and filling 139 positions under the state directorate of physical education. “The recruitment will be done according to the prevalent policies of higher and technical education department,” said Tawde.

He added that the government has already doubled the remuneration being given to most of the temporary teachers, and has now hiked it even further.

Tawde had earlier told the protesting teachers that a committee of the state has already cleared the way for 100% filling of nonteaching posts in aided colleges.

THE STATE HAS ALSO DECIDED TO INCREASE THE REMUNERATION GIVEN TO TEACHERS APPOINTED ON CLOCKHOUR BASIS