After a gap of 25–26 years, Punjab government colleges finally received new assistant professors. However, a technical snag has now created a crisis, threatening to take these professors away from the colleges and students who desperately need them. This long drought in recruitment was primarily caused by the inefficiency of successive governments and the absence of a chairman at the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). The case ultimately had to wind its way to the Supreme Court after going through several legal hurdles.
In the final year of the Congress government in 2021, the recruitment process for college professors was revived. In October that year, an advertisement was issued for the hiring of 1,091 professors and 67 librarians. Results were announced just a week after the November 2021 written examination. Candidates with government college teaching experience were given up to five additional marks based on the information they had submitted in their application forms. However, this benefit was challenged in the High Court by teachers from private colleges. Fearing a likely unfavorable verdict and delays, the government quickly issued a revised merit list by withdrawing the extra five marks.
Meanwhile, another petition was already pending in the High Court demanding cancellation of the entire recruitment drive. The Congress government, eager to showcase these recruitments ahead of the elections, pushed the process forward hastily, which led to several errors. Although many people acknowledge the integrity and efficiency of then Education Secretary Krishan Kumar, it is hard to understand why he went along with the government’s hurried approach that caused repeated mistakes.
Before the High Court imposed a stay on recruitment, 607 candidates were issued appointment letters in December 2021. Of these, 135 candidates reported to their allotted colleges, while the rest were asked to wait at the DPI office until postings were finalized. In August 2022, however, the High Court’s single bench struck down these appointments, plunging the entire process into uncertainty.
By this time, a new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had taken charge. Recognizing the urgent need for professors and having faith in the integrity of the recruitment, the new government appealed against the single bench’s decision before a double bench. During this period, the recruited professors—popularly known as the “1,158”—staged protests, hunger strikes, and road blockades to press their demand for reinstatement. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains strongly defended their appointments throughout the ordeal. Eventually, the government won the case before the double bench and completed the recruitment process that the previous government had left incomplete.
The remaining professors and librarians were issued appointment letters and took charge. Critics who cry corruption in the process should note that if malpractice had actually occurred, the AAP government would have seized the opportunity to discredit the previous Congress government instead of defending the appointments in court.
Interestingly, many of the 1,091 assistant professors selected in this recruitment drive had already moved on to other prestigious posts. One is now serving as an SDM in Himachal Pradesh, while others cleared UPSC examinations and joined services like IAS, IFS, IPS, and IES. At the same time, it is unfortunate that several appointed professors resigned from lucrative private sector jobs while waiting for their postings.
It is worth remembering that back in 2001, to fill vacancies, college principals were authorized to recruit “guest faculty” on their own. These temporary appointments were paid a fixed salary of ₹21,000 per month. Principals advertised the vacant posts and carried out selections independently—creating obvious issues, particularly in colleges without a principal. Initially intended for a single academic year, these contracts were almost always extended annually until 2018. Many guest faculty members were highly qualified and capable teachers who helped run colleges effectively.
Apart from guest faculty, part-time and contractual assistant professors have also been engaged over the years. The AAP government recently revised the pay structure for guest faculty: ₹33,000 per month for those with up to 5 years of service, ₹38,000 for 6–10 years, ₹43,000 for 10–15 years, and ₹47,000 for those serving for more than 15 years. This was a much-needed and commendable decision. Importantly, none of the guest faculty were asked to resign after the appointment of the new recruits.
Two major procedural flaws were, however, found in the recruitment of the 1,158 professors and librarians. First, the entire process should have been conducted by the Punjab Public Service Commission, but at the time, the commission was without a chairman. Despite the PPSC being the competent authority, the government bypassed it and carried out the recruitment on its own. Later, the Punjab Cabinet formally transferred these appointments to the PPSC through a special decision, which added another layer of technical complexity to the matter.