Close to 5,997 out of the 17,106 faculty positions in central universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Nalanda University and University of Hyderabad are lying vacant, data from the ministry of human resources show.
There are 40 universities that are run directly by the ministry of HRD, including five in Delhi and six in Uttar Pradesh.
They include names such as Aligarh Muslim University, the Benaras Hindu University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
The proportion of vacant seats increases as one goes up the seniority level.
Out of the 2,421 professor positions, 55% remain unfilled. Similarly, out of the 4,807 associate professor positions, 46% are vacant.
However, among the entry-level Assistant Professor level, the vacancy percentage is lower at 25%.
“Vacancies at various levels occur in different manner due to retirements, resignations, deaths, deputations, expansion and opening of new institutions,” HRD ministry, currently headed by Prakash Javadekar, said.
The central universities, which enjoy a degree of autonomy in their functioning, make liberal use of guest lecturers and contract lecturers to fill up the vacancies.
The universities employed 2,740 temporary teaching staff in 2016 and 2,665 such staff in 2017.
“UGC and Ministry of Human Resource Development have repeatedly asked all Central Universities to fill up the teaching posts on priority. However, the onus of filling up the teaching posts lies on Central Universities which are autonomous bodies created under Acts of Parliament,” the ministry said.