The Department of Higher Education under the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) has asked the Chandigarh administration to first fill 40 existing vacant Group A faculty posts at Punjab Engineering College (PEC) before approval is considered for a proposed creation of 72 additional Group A positions, officials familiar with the communication said.
Ministry flags large number of sanctioned vacancies
In its response to the Chandigarh administration's proposal, the ministry said the request to create nine professor, 13 associate professor and 50 assistant professor posts does not appear justified while a significant number of sanctioned posts remain unfilled at the institute. PEC's sanctioned Group A faculty strength is 162, of which 40 posts are currently vacant, the ministry noted.
The MoE has advised the administration to complete recruitment for the existing vacancies and submit a fresh proposal for additional posts along with a draft Cabinet note for government approval. The ministry's directive effectively places the expansion request on hold until the administration addresses the vacant positions.
Impact on courses and teaching capacity
The issue has come into focus as PEC has expanded its academic portfolio in recent years without a parallel increase in sanctioned Group A faculty. The college added four programmes since 2016—Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, VLSI and B-Design—which the ministry said were introduced without a corresponding rise in permanent faculty strength.
The Times of India reported that several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at PEC are already experiencing faculty shortages. The report also said around 30 professors are expected to retire over the next three years, a development that could further strain teaching capacity if recruitments are not carried out in time.
Recruitment and governance bottlenecks
According to available information, recruitment for tenure-track positions at PEC has not proceeded since 2025. The process has reportedly been affected by the absence of an Executive Council and by delays in the appointment of a regular Vice‑Chancellor, complicating efforts to clear vacancies and plan capacity expansion.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sanctioned Group A faculty strength | 162 |
| Current vacant Group A posts | 40 |
| Proposal for new posts | 72 (9 professors, 13 associate professors, 50 assistant professors) |
| New courses added since 2016 | 4 (Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, VLSI, B-Design) |
| Professors likely to retire in next 3 years | About 30 |
What this means for students and admissions
Students and prospective applicants to PEC may face implications arising from sustained faculty shortages, including larger student‑teacher ratios, reduced elective offerings and potential strain on mentoring and research supervision. The MoE's instruction to fill existing vacancies first suggests that the administration must prioritise recruitment to safeguard teaching quality before further expansion of sanctioned posts.
Next steps and administrative obligations
- Chandigarh administration to undertake recruitment to fill the 40 vacant Group A posts at PEC.
- After filling vacancies, authorities can resubmit a proposal for the 72 additional posts along with a Cabinet note for approval.
- PEC's Board‑approved 56 tenure‑track positions will be expected to be taken up for recruitment once the current vacancies are addressed.
The ministry's position underlines a procedural expectation that sanctioned positions are utilised before fresh approvals are granted. Observers and stakeholders at PEC will be watching how quickly the administration initiates recruitments to ensure continuity in teaching and to support the new programmes introduced in recent years.
