India, Aug. 18 -- Government and government-aided colleges across Maharashtra are reeling under a 38% shortfall in teachers, leaving them struggling to implement the requirements of the National Education Policy (NEP).

According to data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 11,918 posts of lecturers and assistant professors in 2,000 government-aided colleges were vacant as of December 31, 2024. The situation is particularly dire in aided colleges affiliated to the University of Mumbai, where there are 2,127 vacancies - a staggering 41%.

Colleges say the lack of permanent teachers makes it very difficult to meet the bar set by the NEP. "We need permanent staff to teach the various courses we need to offer under the NEP," s...