Higher Education Minister Harjot Bains on Wednesday told the Punjab Vidhan Sabha that over 42 per cent posts of professor and assistant professor in government colleges and universities were vacant.Replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, the Minister said that of 5,686 sanctioned posts, at least 2,424 were vacant.Questioning the ruling AAP’s claims of ushering in a revolution in the education sector, Dhillon told the media that the vacancies reflected the state of affairs.The MLA said 64 government colleges were being run with the help of guest faculty and part-timers.“Presently, there are 100 part-timers, 760 guest faculty members and 143 regular teachers,” he said, adding that there was a shortage of principals in government colleges too. “Though the apex court has given interim relief to the state government, allowing 1,158 assistant professors and librarians to continue in government colleges till the new recruitment is carried out, the sword of Damocles or uncertainty hangs over their heads,” he said. Earlier speaking in the House, the MLA asked whether the government had prepared any proposal to regularise the guest faculty in colleges.The Minister replied that there was no such proposal. He, however, said the state government was making efforts to save the jobs of 1,158 professors, whose appointment had been quashed by the Supreme Court.On another question raised by Dhillon, the Minister said the student strength in government schools dropped from 2,962,378 (2021-2022) to 2,364,076 (2026-2027), citing bogus admissions as the reason.Answering a query from Sanour MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Power Minister Tarunpreet Sond said free electricity was not being provided to government schools.Pathanmajra said the government should provide free power to government schools if it was extending the same facility to the agriculture sector. The Minister said the suggestion would be considered.Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) was installing solar plants in schools and hospitals, which would lessen the financial burden on schools.Zira AAP MLA Naresh Kataria, enquiring about the construction of 29 playgrounds in his constituency, was told that the work on 13 playgrounds would be completed by August-end, while 14 others would be completed and inaugurated by September. He countered that only 1 out of the 29 playgrounds had been built over four years. He questioned when the remaining playgrounds would be constructed if work continued at this pace.Ensure state youth have first claim on govt jobs: AyaliChandigarh: Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) leader Manpreet Singh Ayali urged the Punjab Government to ensure that the first claim on government jobs in the state rested with Punjab’s youth. He sought details of the number of candidates from other states recruited against government posts.