Patna, June 25: The state cabinet today cleared the decks for filling up the vacant posts of teachers in the universities by putting its seal on the rationalisation process.

There are about 10,008 sanctioned posts of teachers in 256 constituent colleges and the departments in the nine universities. At present, there are 6,515 teachers. Around 3,500 posts are vacant.

Cabinet co-ordination department’s principal secretary Ravikant said: “The process for filling up the 3,500 vacancies of teachers in the state would start now.”

After the completion of the rationalisation process, the government would be able to figure out the exact number of vacancies in each college and university. Rationalisation pertains to the deputation of college teachers in accordance with the number of students in different colleges and university departments. At present, the number of teachers in several colleges and university departments is less compared to students and vice versa.

The cabinet decision has come a week after Patna High Court directed the state government to take steps to fill up the vacancies in the universities within three weeks.

“With the cabinet giving approval to the rationalisation process, the appointment process of teachers will begin soon,” S Shiva Kumar, the principal secretary of the education department, said.

Welcoming the cabinet’s decision, Patna University vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh said: “We hope the appointment of teachers will start soon after the rationalisation process is over.”

The decision has come as a pleasant surprise for the aspiring university teachers. But the president of Federation of University Service Teachers’ Associations of Bihar, Ram Jatan Sinha, said the move was an attempt to circumvent the contempt proceedings in the high court.

The cabinet also approved amendments in the appointment process of secondary and higher secondary school teachers. Candidates clearing the eligibility test would only be considered for appointment in such schools.

The cabinet increased the monthly stipend of junior doctors (postgraduate medical students) from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 and gave its nod for pay and perks to be paid to the members of the search committee constituted to suggest names for the appointment of Lokayuktas (ombudsman).

The cabinet also increased the value added tax from 13.5 per cent to 20 per cent on all tobacco products except bidi.