Reported by Dhananjay Mahapatra in Timesofindia.indiatimes.com on Jun 22, 2012
No Urdu Prof for DU despite 9 advertisements in 17 years - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: In this age when jobs are snatched even before being formally advertised, it is hard to believe that a Professor post in Urdu department of prestigious Delhi University has been lying vacant for last 17 years and that too after 9 public advertisements.

One of the posts of Professor, which was to be recruited directly from academicians outside the faculty, fell vacant in 1995. Since then, the University has advertised the post 9 times between 1996 and 2009 but has not found a suitable candidate.

Concerned by the post remaining vacant for over a decade, 50 MPs requested President of India, who is the Visitor of DU, to look into the matter and advise the University to recruit an Urdu Professor. The President forwarded the representation by the MPs to the HRD ministry, which routed it to the Delhi University. But, the post still remains vacant.

This information was given to a query made under Right to Information Act by Ms Samta Goyel. The President's Secretariat told her to approach the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of HRD for the desired information as her RTI query was sent there.

TOI talked to Professor T A Khan of Urdu department and asked whether there was dearth of qualified persons to fill the post. Prof Khan said: "Educational qualification was not an issue and there were many qualified persons available for filling the post."

He said 700-800 students were taught by a depleted faculty in Urdu department. "In addition research scholars and MPhil students have to be assisted and guided in advanced studies. But, 3 posts of Readers and 4 posts of Lecturers are vacant for last several years. This puts additional burden on the faculty," Prof Khan said.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor of DU had in January promised that all steps would be taken to improve the Urdu department but given the red-tape in the University and recruitment process, it appears that the post of direct recruit Professor would take some more time.