University of Mysore faces staff shortage, resource crunch as NIRF ranking slides
Mysuru: The University of Mysore (UoM) which is one of India's oldest higher education institutions, has suffered a significant decline in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF 2025).
According to a report published by The Hindu, the university is facing the challenges of faculty shortage, decreased revenues and dropping student enrollment.
The university was ranked 71st in the country this year, slipping 20 places from its 2024 position of 51. Vice-Chancellor N K Lokanath attributed the decline primarily to a severe lack of permanent faculty. Of the nearly 400 sanctioned teaching posts, only 23 per cent are filled by full-time staff, while almost three-fourths remain vacant. “There have been no recruitments in nearly two decades,” he said, warning that the strength of permanent faculty may reduce further to 15 per cent in the next four years due to retirements.
Officials pointed out that staffing levels directly influence NIRF scores, as faculty numbers, research, and publications carry significant weightage. “Temporary teachers are unable to lead research teams or contribute extensively to academic publications, which impacts rankings,” Lokanath said.
The university’s financial position has also weakened. Once responsible for colleges across Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, and Hassan districts, UoM now oversees only Mysuru, as the State government’s policy of creating universities in every district has reduced both its student base and affiliation fee revenues. Enrolment in traditional arts and humanities courses has also fallen, with students shifting to skill-oriented and applied science programmes.
Despite the setback, UoM retained the 20th position among State-run public universities nationwide. However, officials and academics stressed that urgent intervention by the Karnataka government is needed to restore its standing. “Recruitment of permanent staff must be prioritized to strengthen research, improve quality of education and arrest further decline,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee moves SC against SIR
New Delhi (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state, sources said on Sunday.
The petition names the Election Commission (EC) and the chief electoral officer of West Bengal as respondents. It was filed before the apex court on January 28, the sources said.
Banerjee arrived in Delhi on Sunday. She is scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at 4 pm on Monday to discuss the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo would be accompanied by a delegation of party leaders.
She is also likely to meet party MPs in the Parliament House on Monday.
Talking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for the national capital, Banerjee claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre is resorting to the SIR exercise because it is certain of its imminent defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls, due in a few months, and said the saffron party should contest the election politically and democratically.
The West Bengal chief minister has written several letters to the CEC, raising concerns over the conduct of the exercise.
In her most recent letter to the CEC on January 31, she alleged that the methodology and approach of the exercise went beyond the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the relevant rules, causing "immense inconvenience and agony" to citizens.
Earlier, TMC leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, had moved the apex court, challenging certain aspects of how the SIR is being carried out in West Bengal.
