State universities are facing a crisis with a shortage of some 5,000 lecturers, of which 2,000 vacancies need to be filled in immediately, a senior University Grants Commission (UGC) official disclosed. The issue has been aggravated with the failure to fill vacancies over a prolonged period after some lecturers failed to return to their duties from travelling overseas for educational purposes. The official said the gradual increase of intakes, introduction of new courses, opening of new faculties and expansion of universities’ activities have contributed to the issue. From 2019/2020 to 2023/2024 the intake of students was increased from 30,000 to 45,000.

Also during the tenure of the immediate former Chairman of the UGC, Prof Sampath Amaratunga, the cut off marks were given within two and half months since the date of closing university entrance applications, thereby regularising the intake of students. The universities are expecting a new intake of 45,000 students and therefore filling in the immediate required vacancies would be crucial, he said. The official said another issue they were facing was that the science - based courses have increased, and finding lectures for these courses also has been difficult. Another issue the UGC faced was that filling the vacancies has been delayed as fresh approval is needed from the Cabinet, though previous approval has been given to filling vacancies created by officers retiring from service, in the event of death and persons not returning from overseas. (DWI)