Patna, Oct. 9: Teachers will be recruited to the state’s 11 universities after a gap of about 10 years.

There are around 3,400 vacancies of permanent positions of teachers in the universities. Recruitment has been on hold since 2003 when 1,050 teachers had been given jobs.

Principal secretary, education, Amarjeet Sinha said the appointment process would start by mid-November. “After commencing the appointment process of vice-chancellors and pro-vice-chancellors in 11 universities, the education department is to start the process of recruitment of teachers soon,” he said. The recruitment of teachers, or assistant professors as they are designated, would be done by the Bihar Public Service Commission.

The recruitment was necessitated after Raj Bhavan gave its nod to the Bihar State Universities Amendment Act 2013 pertaining to the appointment of teachers in universities and colleges.

The decision is the latest in the bouquet of festive gifts being prepared by the government. Yesterday, the cabinet decided to hike by 10 per cent the dearness allowance for state government employees and pensioners. Today, in a major relief to the state’s residents, the government decided to rescind its decision to raise two-fold the holding tax rates. Residents would now need to pay half of what they had been coughing up as holding tax over the past six months.

Education principal secretary Sinha said heads of various universities have been asked to prepare a development plan regarding popular courses before going ahead with the recruitment of teachers.

A development plan would help ascertain the actual vacancies of teachers in universities (rationalisation of teachers) and also determine which courses are popular, in demand and career oriented.

Sources said the education department has asked the universities to lay greater emphasis on courses such as management, computer, biotechnology and other new-age subjects.

Sinha said the education department would invite applications through advertisements in national dailies for recruitment of teachers in the universities.

Teachers have welcomed the decision. Patna University Teachers’ Association president P.K. Poddar said: “There is a severe shortage of teachers in universities. We have no option but to depend on research scholars for teaching students.”

The decision has also opened a door of opportunity for young scholars. Ranvijay Kumar, a PhD in history, said: “Thousands of students who have completed their PhD are looking forward to the process to begin.”

Principal secretary Sinha said researchers from Bihar who are working outside the state would also benefit. “There are many persons from Bihar who are doing research work after completing PhD or NET, or are working, in prestigious universities and who want to return to Bihar,” he said.

The appointment of teachers will be carried out on the basis of the University Grants Commission recommendations, which mandate a PhD degree or clearing the National Eligibility Test.