Ludhiana, Jan. 11 -- The promotion process of elementary teacher training (ETT) faculty to the master cadre has been put on hold for the time being but what has added to the worry is official data shared by the state, which shows a massive shortage of master cadre teachers, with more than 800 posts lying vacant in Ludhiana alone.

According to the figures, 849 master cadre posts are vacant in Ludhiana district, a situation that teacher unions have been flagging for a long time. Union leaders said they had repeatedly submitted representations to the government, along with district-wise data, urging immediate recruitment and promotions to prevent disruption in academics.

With the new academic session set to begin in a few months, teachers ...