Professors stare at shut doors in Punjab, govt silent

Time of India

a day ago

Ludhiana: A thousand doors that opened wide after years are bolted shut within a day. In a ruling that has sent shockwaves through Punjab's education system, the Supreme Court on Monday quashed the appointments of 1,158 assistant professors and librarians recruited in a landmark 2021 drive, ending the hopes of hundreds of qualified educators and reigniting fears over the state's crumbling higher education infrastructure.
The top court found the recruitment process — touted at the time as a revival of govt colleges after two decades of hiring freeze — violated University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and lacked procedural integrity. The ruling has affected 1,091 assistant professors and 67 librarians who had joined more than 150 colleges across Punjab, some as recently as six months ago, others nearing the end of their probation.
The fallout is most acute in Ludhiana district, where 116 teachers now face termination.
"This affects 116 families here alone," said Jaspreet Sivian, a senior member of the teachers' coordination committee. "Across the state, it's a thousand homes. People who waited years, met every eligibility rule — NET, PhD, teaching experience — are now being told none of it matters. It's heartbreaking."
The Supreme Court held that bypassing the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) and omitting key academic assessments, including viva voce, invalidated the appointments.
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The teachers, however, argue that the blame lies squarely with flawed govt procedure, not the candidates. "Why should we pay the price for bureaucratic shortcuts?" asked a professor from a Ludhiana college. "We cleared every bar the system set for us.
Now we're being punished for the state's mistakes. And the worst part? Not a single word yet from the Punjab govt."
Many affected teachers say they have now aged out of eligibility for future recruitment.
Saurabh Kumar, a Hindi professor with 12 years of experience, had cleared NET (National Eligibility Test) and earned a PhD. But now, at 38, he exceeds the general category age limit of 37. "I was regularised finally after years of part-time work. And now, I may never be eligible again," he said.
The pain is amplified by silence. "The verdict came yesterday. Still, the govt hasn't announced a single step, not a plan, not even an apology," said another member of the faculty.
"The silence is deafening." Several teachers had already left private jobs to join govt posts under the impression of long-term stability. Institutes that saw hope for academic revival finally — like Ludhiana's SCD Govt College, which had only 6 permanent teachers before 2021 — now face returning to those conditions.
The committee representing the affected teachers has announced its intention to file a review petition, and if needed, a curative one — the last legal recourse available.
"Until then, no terminations should be issued," Sivian pleaded. "The Punjab govt should stand with us. Over a thousand families are now in crisis after two decades of waiting and years of honest service."
The ruling has also drawn condemnation from alumni and education advocates. Brij Bhushan Goyal, alumnus and office-bearer of SCD College's alumni association, said: "This is not just the loss of jobs. It's the collapse of morale in our academic institutes.
The state failed to defend its decision in court, and the victims are our teachers. What a pity. What a waste."
What do you tell a teacher who taught through illness, who moved cities, who hung family hopes on a govt seal? What do you tell a scholar who has aged out of a professionthat never let her in properly? What do you tell a student who sees his classroom grow silent as staff rooms empty and chalkboards wait in vain? With campuses now facing staffing chaos and hundreds of careers on the brink, the verdict has not just ended appointments — it has reopened a crisis in public higher education that Punjab had only just begun to address.