In a major push to strengthen higher education infrastructure, the Bihar State University Service Commission is likely to conduct a centralised recruitment drive for more than 2,500 contractual assistant professors for 211 newly established degree colleges across Bihar.

The proposed appointments are aimed at ensuring that academic activities begin smoothly in the new colleges introduced during the 2026–27 academic session, with recruitment expected to cover six key humanities and social science subjects.

Recruitment to Cover Six Subjects

According to sources, the contractual faculty recruitment will initially be conducted for the following disciplines:

• Hindi
• English
• History
• Political Science
• Economics
• Sociology

Teaching in additional humanities and science subjects is expected to be introduced in these colleges at a later stage.

The decision to adopt a centralised recruitment process for contractual appointments was reportedly taken during a high-level meeting held at Lok Bhavan last week.

BSUSC May Also Recruit Over 6,000 Regular Faculty

Apart from the contractual appointments, BSUSC is also expected to recruit more than 6,000 assistant professors on a regular basis to fill sanctioned vacancies across Bihar's state universities.

However, the recruitment process for regular positions is yet to begin because the commission has not received subject-wise and roster-wise vacancy details from the state's higher education department.

Officials indicated that these vacancies will be forwarded only after the revised statute governing assistant professor appointments receives approval from the Chancellor.

Draft Recruitment Rules Spark Debate

The proposed recruitment statute introduces a written examination along with an interview as part of the assistant professor selection process.

However, one provision has generated significant discussion within academic circles—the proposed upper age limit of 40 years for fresh appointments.

Former Bihar Public Service Commission member and retired Patna University professor Shiv Jatan Thakur criticised the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the University Grants Commission Regulations, which do not prescribe an upper age limit for assistant professor recruitment.

He also referred to a Bihar government circular issued on March 6, 2019, which states that appointments should be made in accordance with UGC regulations.

According to Thakur, the proposed age restriction could adversely affect many qualified candidates and urged both the Chancellor and the state government to reconsider the provision.

Commission Defends Age Proposal

Responding to the criticism, BSUSC Chairman G. K. Chaudhary said the age limit had been recommended by the committee that drafted the revised statute.

He noted that several other states have incorporated similar age limits for assistant professor recruitment despite the absence of such a restriction in the UGC regulations.

What Happens Next?

The recruitment process is expected to move forward once the revised appointment statute receives the Chancellor's approval. Following that, the higher education department is likely to notify vacancies and formally authorise BSUSC to begin recruitment.

If implemented, the proposed drive would become one of Bihar's largest faculty recruitment initiatives in recent years, supporting the state's efforts to operationalise 211 new degree colleges while addressing the growing demand for qualified teaching staff.

The recruitment is expected to provide employment opportunities to thousands of aspiring academicians while strengthening access to higher education across Bihar's blocks.