SRINAGAR: Nineteen of the 30 sanctioned posts for Punjabi teachers at Higher Secondary level in Jammu and Kashmir are vacant, with only 11 posts currently filled, the government has told the Legislative Assembly.
The School Education Department said 22 of the sanctioned posts are in Jammu division and eight in Kashmir division. It said the process for filling the vacancies has already been initiated through Departmental Promotion Committees and recruiting agencies.
The disclosure came in response to an unstarred question by MLA Narinder Singh Raina on the availability of Punjabi language teachers in schools and colleges, particularly in areas with a significant Sikh population.
The department said Punjabi has been introduced as a language subject under the Humanities faculty at Higher Secondary level alongside Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, Dogri and other languages in educational institutions across J&K.Of the 30 sanctioned Punjabi teaching posts, 11 are presently occupied, including one teacher recently appointed following selection by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
