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March timeline missed: 5500 asst. professors to now be recruited by June assures Chandrakant Patil

The recruitment process in the state has been stalled for the past few years, leading to a faculty crunch in public universities and grant-in-aid colleges.

He had said, “Everything has been sanctioned (for university professor recruitment). Advertisements have been put out, applications have been received, scrutiny has been done, only interviews and joining is remaining.He had said, “Everything has been sanctioned (for university professor recruitment). Advertisements have been put out, applications have been received, scrutiny has been done, only interviews and joining is remaining.

Recruitment to 5,500 assistant professor posts in grant-in-aid colleges in the state will be completed by June 2026, Minister of Higher and Technical Education Chandrakant Patil assured while speaking to journalists in Pune on April 1. Previously in September 2025, Patil had said that the recruitment process would be completed by March 2026, however the timeline could not be met.

Patil said on Wednesday, “5500 approvals for new professor posts (grant-in-aid colleges) were given. It is the biggest recruitment in the last 20-25 years. In state universities, recruitment approval for 700 professors was given…Till June, be it college professors or university professors, they will be recruited and must start teaching in classes.” A similar announcement was made in the state legislature in March as well.

In March end, at the Senate meet of the Savitribai Phule Pune University, Vice Chancellor Suresh Gosavi made a similar announcement and said that the 111 posts first advertised by the university in 2023 will finally be filled by June.

The recruitment process in the state has been stalled for the past few years, leading to a faculty crunch in public universities and grant-in-aid colleges.

In September 2025, speaking at the 28th Convocation Ceremony of the Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded, Patil had said that the recruitment would be completed by March 2026.

He had said, “Everything has been sanctioned (for university professor recruitment). Advertisements have been put out, applications have been received, scrutiny has been done, only interviews and joining is remaining.
Additionally, in senior colleges, recruitment of 5,500 professors and 2900 non-teaching staff has been approved… A GR for this will be released soon and as soon as that happens, till next March, a total of 5500 professors will be recruited to all colleges according to their student strength.”

However, major changes in recruitment rules were made in February 2026 by the state government, leading to further delay in the process.

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More


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