27 depts without a single teacher, over 150 lacking senior faculty- Doctors' body survey flags crisis at Telangana medical colleges

The data, compiled from faculty postings of around 400 departments across 36 government medical colleges in the state, shows that many departments are functioning either without any faculty at all or without senior academic leadership, despite the rapid expansion of medical colleges in recent years.

27 Departments Have Zero Teaching Faculty

One of the most striking findings in the survey is that 27 departments across Telangana government medical colleges have no teaching faculty, which means that these medical colleges are functioning with zero Professors, zero Associate Professors, and zero Assistant Professors. These departments exist only on paper and are effectively non-functional from an academic perspective.

Such zero-faculty departments were found in Government Medical Colleges in Jogulamba Gadwal, Asifabad, Kodangal, Bhupalpally, and Narayanpet. Several of these colleges have multiple departments without even a single sanctioned teacher, particularly in pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects.

Also read- Rapid medical college expansion in MP raises concerns over faculty shortage, MBBS training quality

Over 150 Departments Without Senior Faculty

The association stated that senior faculty are essential for academic supervision, curriculum planning, conduct of examinations, postgraduate training and National Medical Commission (NMC) inspections.

However, the survey revealed that more than 150 departments across the state have no senior faculty at all. These departments are being managed by junior faculty members, and in some cases, have no faculty at all.

TSRDA alleged that this situation places many colleges at risk of losing accreditation, being denied permission to start postgraduate courses, and facing difficulties during NMC inspections.

The data also showed that well over 70% of departments do not have a single Professor. According to the survey, professors, who are expected to provide academic leadership and mentorship, are largely concentrated in a handful of older institutions such as Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Medical College and Kakatiya Medical College.

In contrast, new district medical colleges frequently do not have Professors in key subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Social & Preventive Medicine, Forensic Medicine, and Microbiology.

Departments Running on a Single Faculty Member

Another critical finding is the prevalence of single-faculty departments. More than 120 departments across Telangana are run by just one faculty member, usually an Assistant Professor. These departments have no Professors and no Associate Professors. 

In practical terms, this means one individual is responsible for Undergraduate teaching, Internal assessments and University examinations, Administrative work and Clinical or laboratory supervision.

Medical education experts warn that such arrangements are academically unsustainable and place extreme workload pressure on junior faculty.

Pre-Clinical and Para-Clinical Departments Worst Affected

According to the data, the faculty shortage is most acute in pre-clinical and para-clinical departments, which form the foundation of undergraduate medical training.

Departments most frequently affected include Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Social & Preventive Medicine and Forensic Medicine. In several colleges, these departments have either no faculty or only one Assistant Professor, directly impacting the quality of first- and second-year MBBS education.

Heavy Dependence on Contract Faculty and Bonded Senior Residents

Even where faculty exists, the nature of appointments raises concern. As per the date, a significant proportion of Assistant Professors are on short-term contracts, and many departments rely on mandatory service SRs, often rotating every year. Several entries explicitly state - “No regular faculty”, “Only SRs”, or “All contract”.

In some departments, 100% of the teaching staff is contractual. In certain cases, while Professors may be regular employees, the entire junior and mid-level faculty are temporary staff.

Telangana has seen one of the fastest expansions of medical colleges in the country in recent years. Until 2021, the state had 34 medical colleges offering MBBS seats. In the last four years alone, at least 32 new colleges have been added.

The expansion was part of the Centre’s larger plan to create 75,000 new medical seats across India within five years. The state government also aimed to establish at least one Government Medical College (GMC) in each of its 33 districts, a target it achieved in 2024.

The National Medical Commission (NMC), which regulates medical education in the country, has laid down clear guidelines for faculty strength. As per the 2023 Minimum Standard Requirements guidelines, undergraduate (UG) medical colleges must have at least two to four faculty members in each department for a batch of 50 MBBS students. Most departments are required to have at least one Professor or Associate Professor, one Assistant Professor, and a Senior Resident.

For postgraduate (PG) courses, the PG Medical Education Regulations, 2000 mandate a minimum of three faculty members in each broad speciality and super-speciality department.

However, according to the TSRDA survey, many government medical colleges in Telangana fall short of these norms, with several departments lacking even the minimum required faculty.

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