Ludhiana, June 19 -- Despite assuring the Supreme Court of fresh recruitments by February 2026, the Punjab government continues to employ 1,158 assistant professors and librarians whose appointments were quashed by the top court last year. The appointments of 1,091 assistant professors and 67 librarians at government colleges had come under scrutiny after candidates filed writ petitions alleging irregularities in the merit-based recruitment process. Following months of litigation, the Supreme Court in July 2025 set aside the appointments. Subsequently, the Punjab government sought time from the court to make alternative arrangements and conduct fresh recruitment. In August 2025, the Supreme Court permitted the teachers to continue in service after the state assured it that a fresh selection process would be completed by February 2026. Despite the deadline having passed, the recruitment process has yet to be concluded. As a result, the teachers whose appointments were quashed continue to serve in government colleges across Punjab. Several assistant professors whose appointments were cancelled were adjusted against positions where guest faculty members were already working. Following prolonged protests by guest faculty teachers, the government shifted the appointees to vacant sanctioned posts across the state. A teacher working in a government college, requesting anonymity, questioned the prolonged continuation of the arrangement. "The appointments were quashed by the Supreme Court, yet these teachers continue to draw salaries from the government. The fresh recruitment process should have been completed by now," the teacher said. Responding to the concerns, Punjab administrative secretary, higher education, Sonali Giri said the recruitment process was underway and the government could not remove the teachers until alternative arrangements were in place. "We have initiated the process of informing the Supreme Court about the recruitment's progress. The matter is under active consideration. Colleges cannot function without an adequate number of professors," she said. She added that the matter was also being reviewed in view of the disability benchmark guidelines recently issued by the department of justice and roster-related issues. There has been no delay or stalling of the procedure," she added....