MUMBAI, Aug. 18 -- Government and government-aided colleges across Maharashtra are reeling under a 38% shortfall in teachers, leaving them struggling to implement 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 criteria set by the NEP. "We need permanent staff to teach the various courses we need to offer under the NEP," said the principal of a South Mumbai aided college. "We are currently hiring teachers on a clock-hour basis, but most of them don't continue beyond six months owing to low remuneration at government-approved rates." Another college principal in Mumbai, said, "We started implementing the NEP in our college three years ago, but offering students open electives in the spirit of providing a truly multidisciplinary education is impossible with the current staff strength. Without adequate faculty, the very purpose of the NEP is defeated. We are operating with contractual staff." According to information sourced from the higher education department by RTI activist Abhay Kolhatkar, the state had sanctioned 31,185 teaching posts in over 2,000 aided colleges across the state, of which 11,918 remain vacant. The shortage of teachers began during the Covid pandemic, which began to unfold in early 2020, when the government ordered a recruitment freeze. Although 3,580 posts for assistant professors had been approved in 2018, only 1,492 were filled before the pause in May 2020. In 2021, another 2,088 posts were sanctioned but recruitment remained sluggish. The challenge has grown since the NEP was rolled out in autonomous colleges in 2023-24, and extended to affiliated colleges in 2024-25. The new policy introduced skill-based and practical subjects, requiring a greater number of teaching hours and specialised instructors. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all states to fill at least 80% of sanctioned posts to maintain their accreditation grades under the National Academic Accreditation Council (NAAC). In July, the state government approved recruitment for over 7,900 teaching posts and more than 2,200 non-teaching posts across universities and government aided colleges. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis cleared the long-pending drive, which was last attempted in 2022 but had stalled. However, no advertisements have been published so far. Professor Kushal Mude, national convenor of the All India NET and SET Teachers' Organisation, said, "If a healthy teacher-student ratio is not maintained, the standards set by the central government for NEP cannot be achieved. Nearly 40% of sanctioned posts in aided colleges are vacant, and many private colleges have no full-time teachers. The state government must recruit assistant professors in mission mode."...