With over 400 teaching posts lying vacant at the University of Mysore for many years, more than 800 guest lecturers are conducting classes on the Manasagangotri campus due to the absence of permanent faculty.

The university is facing a 76% shortage of permanent teaching faculty with no appointments done since 2007. Out of 686 sanctioned posts, nearly 400 posts are vacant, and the university has been urging the State government to fill up the posts. Also, 76 backlog vacancies are lying vacant.

Addressing media persons here on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor N.K. Lokanath said, “The university has been engaging with the government to fill the vacant posts, and we have received a positive response. We have requested the government to address the backlog of posts, and they have assured us that they facilitate the appointments. We are awaiting their response.”

He further stated that the academic activities are being run with the support of the guest lecturers who are also equally competent and have good teaching experience, with some having 15 to 20 years. The quality of education has not been compromised despite the shortage of permanent teaching faculties.

The Vice-Chancellor said some departments have not received admissions for various reasons. There have been no admissions for post-graduate programmes in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Music. The government has categorically stated that classes should not be run if the minimum admission is below 15. Barring Kannada, the rule applies to all the departments.

The university was banking on the guest faculty to carry out the academic activities with about 280 permanent teaching faculty remaining out of the sanctioned posts of 686.