Pune: NET/SET/PhD Holders Begin Indefinite Protest in Pune, Demand Faculty Recruitment Order
Pune, 12th September 2025: Outside the Directorate of Higher Education in Shivajinagar, Pune, a determined group of qualified aspirants, armed not only with placards but also with degrees in NET, SET, and PhD, have begun an indefinite sit-in protest. Their demand is simple yet urgent, the Maharashtra government must immediately issue the long-awaited government resolution (GR) for filling vacant faculty posts in aided colleges.
The state government had earlier granted in-principle approval to recruit 5,012 faculty members across aided institutions, sparking hope among aspirants and colleges grappling with staff shortages. Officials even assured that the formal GR would follow “soon.” But nearly two months later, that promise remains unfulfilled.
In response, members of the NET/SET/PhD Holders’ Struggle Committee have escalated their protest with a sit-in and hunger strike, refusing to back down until the order is released.
“Our colleges are running on empty classrooms and guest lecturers. The government talks about implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, but without adequate faculty, these reforms are just words on paper. Students are the ones paying the price,” said Omkar Korawale, state coordinator of the committee.
