Surat: The Gujarat government on Thursday admitted in the state assembly that around 60 per cent of the Class-1 posts in government engineering colleges were vacant. It also disclosed that over 37 per cent of the total sanctioned posts in these colleges were vacant. The information was revealed during the ongoing budget session of the state assembly.
While replying to the question put up by the Manavadar legislator Arvind Ladani, the higher and technical education minister, informed the house on Thursday, "Out of the total 534 sanctioned posts of class 1 in the sixteen engineering colleges, 320 posts are vacant (59.9 per cent). Out of the total sanctioned 2,736 posts of all cadres, 1,014 are vacant (37 per cent)."
Vacancies in engineering colleges across Gujarat
According to the information tabled in the house, the maximum number of vacancies is in the Valsad engineering college, where out of the total 28 sanctioned posts, 23 are vacant (82.14 per cent). In Bharuch college 31 posts are vacant out of 38, and out of the total 27 sanctioned posts of class 1 in Patan engineering college 22 are vacant.
Out of the total sanctioned 2,736 posts of all cadres, 1,014 are vacant (37 per cent). 201 posts out of the total 260 posts of class four employees in these colleges are vacant. While, 300 posts out of sanctioned total of 475 class three employees are vacant. 193 posts of class 2 employees are vacant compared to the sanctioned strength of 1467.
"It is my suggestion to the government that even taking this as a drive, they should fill up these vacant posts as early as possible, especially in the remote areas," said Arjun Modhwadia, the legislator from Porbandar while discussing the question.
Gujarat better than AICTE, claims Praful Pansheriya
According to the criteria by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the standard ratio of faculty to students is 1:20, while in technical education in Gujarat it is 1:18, so Gujarat is much better than AICTE standards. But, as the legislator has pointed out, it might be that the ratio might be adequate in some colleges and somewhere inadequate. Definitely, the government will do the needful," said Praful Pansheriya, Minister of State (MoS) Education while replying to the question.
