The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad (JNTU-H) has issued notices to more than 80 engineering colleges in Telangana for failing to meet faculty and infrastructure requirements, just days before the start of the new academic year. Out of 134 affiliated colleges, over 80 received notices in early June and have been given 30 days to respond.
Deficiencies Found During Inspections
Fact-finding committees (FFC) visited colleges as part of the affiliation process and identified various shortcomings, including a significant shortage of teaching staff. According to a senior JNTUH official, many colleges lacked the required number of faculty members. As per AICTE norms, engineering colleges must maintain a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:20 for most B.Tech courses.
Faculty Hiring and Firing Concerns
Interestingly, several colleges dismissed faculty members after the FFC inspections conducted in May. Now, many institutions have released job notifications and are hiring faculty on a temporary basis. A Santosh Kumar, president of the Telangana Schools Technical Colleges Employees Association, criticized this practice as a stopgap arrangement, stating that faculty are often fired once affiliation is granted. He urged the government to implement a permanent solution to protect faculty and maintain education standards. He noted that 86 colleges have been issued notices this month.
College Managements Respond
College managements have confirmed receiving the notices. A member of the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) revealed that out of around 80 colleges, 47 had serious deficiencies, with some facing over 50% faculty vacancies. Others had minor issues such as pending fees or a few vacant posts.
Faculty members expressed concern that such a large number of engineering colleges are operating without adequate teaching staff, compromising the quality of education in the state.
