Editor,
We wish to draw the attention of the state, along with the authorities concerned and the responsible recruiting bodies, to a matter of growing concern: the prolonged delay in the recruitment of assistant professors for government colleges in the state.
The last formal recruitment exercise for assistant professors was conducted in 2019. It is now 2025, and six years have elapsed without a single round of regular faculty recruitment. Such an extended gap is highly unusual and raises serious questions regarding the state’s commitment to strengthening its higher education system.
In the absence of regular recruitment, colleges across Arunachal Pradesh continue to rely heavily on guest faculty appointments, re-engaged year after year. This reliance clearly indicates that there is a consistent and genuine need for teaching staff. If vacancies exist and are repeatedly being filled through temporary measures, what justifies the prolonged delay in conducting interviews for permanent positions?
This situation is gravely unfair to the many qualified candidates who possess postgraduate degrees, NET/SLET, PhD, and valuable research experience. By indefinitely postponing regular recruitment, the system is depriving deserving scholars of rightful career opportunities they have diligently prepared for.
Furthermore, students and institutions are denied the academic stability, research culture, and mentorship that only permanent faculty members can provide.
The overdependence on guest faculties, while understandable as a short-term arrangement, becomes counterproductive when used as a long-term substitute for proper recruitment. It undermines both academic quality and institutional credibility.
Given the above, the pressing question remains: When will the Department of Higher Education initiate the next assistant professor recruitment process?
In the larger interest of students, educational institutions, and the state’s academic future, we earnestly urge the authorities concerned to (a) Announce and conduct the next recruitment cycle at the earliest, in a transparent and timely manner; (b) Fill the long-pending vacancies with permanent faculty members, ensuring stability and quality in higher education; and (c) Reduce reliance on guest faculty appointments, which are insufficient to meet the academic needs of higher education institutions in the long run.
Six years without recruitment is not merely an administrative delay; it reflects a significant setback for the development of higher education in Arunachal. It is imperative that the authorities concerned take swift, responsible action to restore merit-based opportunities and strengthen the academic environment across the state.
Aggrieved candidates