Calcutta University faces a severe faculty crisis, with 40% of teaching posts vacant across its science, engineering, and humanities departments. This decade-long shortage forces existing teachers to manage heavy workloads, impacts student learning, and strains resources at one of India’s oldest educational institutions.
The faculty shortage has affected the university’s performance. Calcutta University dropped over 20 places in the NIRF Ranking 2025 . Teachers frequently work late, cover multiple roles, and often abandon one-on-one student mentoring due to increased class sizes and duties.
New Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh , appointed recently, has sparked optimism. Teachers hope for faculty recruitment to begin soon under his leadership. Ghosh previously served as interim VC in 2016-2017 and headed the chemistry department from 2011 to 2013.
Departmental Vacancies Highlight Crisis
Several core departments, including Applied Physics, Physics, Bengali, Economics, History, and Business Management, are severely understaffed. Some departments report more than half of their sanctioned posts lie vacant, as detailed below:
| Department | Sanctioned Posts | Vacant Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Physics | 20 | 8 |
| Physics | 25 | 10 |
| Photonics and Optics | 10 | 7 |
| Botany | 33 | 21 |
| Bengali Language & Literature | 15 | 9 |
| Economics | 22 | 10 |
| History | 25 | 17 |
Applied Physics: Outdated Infrastructure, Overburdened Staff
The Applied Physics department , established in 1925 , has completed 101 years. Its infrastructure remains largely unchanged since 1925, according to department head Chanchal De. Of 20 sanctioned posts, 8 are vacant . Six vacancies exist in Instrumentation Engineering, and two in Electrical Engineering. The department last recruited staff in 2016 . One more professor will retire by November 2026 . Chair professor posts also remain unfilled.
Teachers manage BTech and MTech programs, extending classes until 9 pm for working professionals. They also double as laboratory demonstrators due to a lack of technical assistants. This limits practical learning to five students at a time. The department heavily relies on guest faculty, many of whom are former students, paid a nominal Rs 500 per lecture out of loyalty.
Equipment worth Rs 10-20 lakh received under the World Bank’s TechEd program lacks maintenance funds. Many instruments are now dysfunctional. Moving the department, with its fragile British-era instruments, to a new campus is not feasible.
Physics: Glorious Past, Funding Challenges
The Physics department , historically home to Nobel laureate C.V. Raman and eminent scientists Satyendranath Bose and Meghnad Saha , battles faculty shortages and outdated infrastructure. 10 of 25 sanctioned posts are vacant . Research in physics requires costly instruments, often costing crores of rupees. Limited state funds and declining central support hinder equipment upgrades and maintenance. Alumni and research experts frequently volunteer to teach, bridging gaps in faculty.
Botany: Research Decline Due to Vacancies
The Botany department has seen a drastic drop in faculty, with only 12 teachers remaining from 33 sanctioned posts . This follows years of retirements and no new recruitment. Professor Subir Bera stated that specialized research fields like phycology and paleobotany cannot sustain growth without adequate faculty. The loss of professors, who built research schools over decades, leads to the collapse of entire lines of work. Bera worries about the future of his paleobotany museum after his retirement.
Bengali: Overcrowded Classrooms
The Bengali Language and Literature department has 9 of 15 sanctioned posts vacant . Six teachers manage 450 students per batch, divided into three sections of 150 each. This leads to extended working hours and a reliance on guest lecturers to complete the syllabus. The department, which produced celebrated novelists and political figures, now struggles to maintain its academic energy. Other language departments, like Linguistics and Hindi, also face severe understaffing.
Economics: Declining Placements, Increased Workload
The Economics department has 10 of 22 sanctioned posts vacant . Three more teachers, including Professor Mahalaya Chatterjee, will retire next year. This will leave only nine teachers for approximately 220 students admitted annually. The department offers two postgraduate courses (traditional two-year and new one-year NEP-based), increasing the workload. Placement numbers have fallen from 75 students in 2021 to about 40 per year , with the remaining students finding it difficult to secure suitable jobs.
History: Student Disinterest, Lost Research Funding
The History department , once a Centre for Advanced Study, now has only 8 permanent teachers for 25 sanctioned posts . Professor Shouvik Mukherjee stated that only three chair professors have been appointed since 2008, when there were 19 faculty members. By 2028 , only six faculty members may remain. Approximately 193 students are admitted annually, but only 145-150 appear for final exams. Many students drop out, citing a lack of interest in higher studies due to limited job opportunities. Teacher recruitment exams for schools and colleges have not been held for several years, further reducing prospects for graduates. The department also lost its Centre for Advanced Study funding, a trend seen across many Indian universities.