From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Nov 27: Recruitments for as many as 5000 faculty positions in higher educational institutions across the country will be available during the current five year plan ending 2017.
 
The massive recruitments of faculty for higher educational institutions are being made under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) being implemented by the Union Human Resource Development Recruitment Ministry.

Support will be provided to fill positions in the category of Assistant Professors or equivalent cadre against vacancies, according to a press release from the Press Information Bureau.

A fixed amount of Rs 5.8 lakh per year for each faculty position will be given by the Centre and any excess over and above this amount due to higher scales, grade pay or dearness allowance increase has to be borne by the State Government.

The Rs 99,000 crore programme has been approved by the Union Cabinet last month to boost the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 30 % by 2020 from about 19% at present.

All the State universities will be eligible to receive grants under this programme.

The recruitment process will have to adhere to UGC norms and regulations. The funding priorities are as follows:

• Commitments of States to take over the liability of faculty positions at the end of the scheme (after 5 to 8 years, depending on the year in which such positions are sanctioned);
• Priority will be given to states where more recruitment has taken place in the universities and colleges during the last 3 years;
• States with lowest number of unfilled faculty positions;
• States with better student-teacher ratio;
• Priority will be given to new institutions.;
• Second priority shall be given to those states which have a faculty-student ratio between 15:1 to 20:1; and
• States with more than 20:1 ratio will have to first commit to sanction and fill positions to bring down the faculty-student ratio ration to 20:1.