Haryana Government Implements New SOPs to Standardize Faculty Recruitment in Private Colleges
In a decisive move to eliminate confusion and enhance transparency, the Haryana Government has issued comprehensive clarifications and amendments to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) governing faculty recruitment in government-aided private colleges across the state. The new guidelines, released by the Higher Education Department on January 22, 2026, aim to address persistent ambiguities in interpreting reservation rules, particularly concerning backlog vacancies and roster maintenance.
Addressing Long-Standing Ambiguities in Reservation Compliance
Officials highlighted that inconsistent interpretations of earlier instructions by colleges led to disparities in reservation compliance. To rectify this, the government has established a uniform mechanism that all government-aided private colleges must adhere to when filling teaching positions through direct recruitment. This initiative seeks to ensure strict adherence to constitutional reservation norms and promote fairness in the hiring process.
An official from the department emphasized, "With these clarifications, we aim to eliminate ambiguity, streamline recruitment, and reduce disputes, audits, and legal challenges related to reservation policies. This will bring much-needed order to a process impacting both institutions and aspirants statewide."
Single-Unit System Replaces Subject-Wise Calculations
One of the most significant changes introduced is the treatment of all government-aided private colleges as a single unit for reservation calculations in direct recruitment of teaching cadres. This replaces the previous practice of calculating reservations subject-wise. Colleges are now mandated to follow the state's 100-point reservation roster as per existing government policy.
Under the revised SOPs, colleges must prepare a consolidated roster register effective from August 31, 2023, merging all subject-wise rosters into one. Faculty members in position as of that date, along with those joining thereafter through direct recruitment, must be entered into the roster strictly in chronological order of their joining date. Once a full cycle of 100 points is completed, the roster restarts from Point 1 for the next cycle.
"Importantly, only faculty members who actually assume duty after appointment will be included in the roster. Any backlog in reserved posts existing prior to August 31, 2023, must be accounted for and cannot be overlooked," added the official.
Mandatory Verification and Clear Guidelines for Vacancies
To prevent deviations, the government has made verification of the reservation roster compulsory before advertising or filling any new teaching posts. Colleges must obtain verification from the SEWA Department or its nominated officers; recruitment without such verification will be considered a violation of procedures.
The SOPs also clarify that if a college opts not to fill certain sanctioned posts at a given time, only those posts being actively filled will influence roster points. Vacancies intentionally left unfilled will not affect reservation calculations for that recruitment cycle.
Chronological Order and Backlog Priority in Roster Assignments
A major clarification involves the assignment of roster points based on vacancy creation dates. The reservation category for any post will now be determined strictly in chronological order of vacancies arising from superannuation, resignation, termination, removal, or new post sanctions. If multiple vacancies occur on the same date, they must be arranged alphabetically by subject name in English dictionary order.
Where multiple posts exist within the same subject, only one post per subject will be considered in each alphabetical round before proceeding to the next. This system is designed to ensure broader representation of reserved categories across various disciplines, preventing clustering within a single subject.
Emphasis on Clearing Backlog Vacancies
The SOPs strongly emphasize clearing backlog vacancies. Reserved posts unfilled from earlier recruitment cycles must be addressed first, strictly in the order of their occurrence. If backlogs exist across multiple reserved categories, the oldest backlog category receives priority.
The government has provided detailed examples to illustrate how backlog categories and vacancy dates jointly determine reservation categories and subject sequences for recruitment. "The guiding principle is that backlog clearance cannot be bypassed under any circumstances," stated an official.
Accountability Measures and Cooling-Off Period
Colleges granted permission to recruit but later deciding not to fill certain posts must formally inform the government with reasons. Such posts can only be readvertised after obtaining fresh government approval and observing a minimum one-year gap from the previous advertisement.
This comprehensive overhaul by the Haryana Government is expected to bring greater clarity, consistency, and fairness to faculty recruitment in private colleges, aligning with broader goals of educational equity and administrative efficiency.
