In a significant move to streamline higher education administration, the Gujarat government has issued a directive for a unified and time-bound recruitment process across all 14 state-run universities. This action follows the implementation of the Gujarat Public Universities Act and aims to address long-standing vacancies and administrative inconsistencies.
Strict Directives for Uniform and Timely Hiring
The state's education department has instructed universities to immediately begin recruiting for vacant teaching and non-teaching positions. The core mandate is to ensure all 14 universities complete their recruitment processes simultaneously and within a fixed timeframe. This approach is designed to eliminate delays and create a standardised procedure across the board.
The government has placed direct responsibility on university registrars. If recruitment is delayed, leading to sanctioned posts being put on hold or cancelled, the registrar of the concerned university will be held personally accountable. The office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, along with the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of each university, will oversee the process to ensure strict adherence to government guidelines.
Transparency and Compliance as Key Pillars
The notification outlines clear rules to govern the recruitment drive. Any proposal for creating new posts or altering recruitment rules must first be consulted with the state education department. Recruitment can only proceed for posts that have been duly approved by university resolutions, align with state policies, and have undisputed pay scales sanctioned by the finance department.
Furthermore, the government has stipulated that posts approved in a particular financial year must be filled within that same year. The directive emphasises complete transparency, warning that any detected irregularity, misconduct, or procedural violation will trigger disciplinary action against involved staff, officers, and senior authorities.
Scope Includes Specialised Institutions
While the directive primarily covers universities under the Common Act, its reach extends to other prominent state institutions. These include the Children's Research University, the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE), and Somnath University, all of which must follow the newly standardised framework.
This push is already seeing action, with Gujarat University recently initiating recruitment for over 167 non-teaching posts, signalling a concrete step towards filling long-pending vacancies. The joint responsibility for ensuring compliance lies firmly with the higher education commissioner's office and the leadership of each university.
