PATNA: Even as the Nitish government has been able to bring in considerable improvement in the working of different sectors in the state, higher education is yet to feel his magical touch. The state machinery is yet to develop a mechanism to propel the ailing universities on the path of recovery. Academics feel that the developments in the filed of higher education in recent years are not a healthy sign. Almost all the universities are being run on an ad hoc basis as they are not getting full-time regular vice-chancellors and pro-VCs. Even those who were appointed as full-time VCs are facing rough weather. The reported tug-of-war between the state government and the chancellor in matters concerning higher education has only complicated the matters, they say. The dwindling strength of teachers, with no hurry being shown by the competent authorities to fill the vacancies, is telling upon the quality of education being imparted in colleges and universities. A S College, Bikramganj, the only constituent college at the subdivisional headquarters, has got a student strength of over 3500, but it has only seven teachers against a sanctioned strength of 54. The government move to replace the existing university selection committees by the state-level university service commission is likely to delay the appointment of teachers. More than 50% of the sanctioned posts of teachers in different universities have fallen vacant in recent years. Surprisingly, the selection committees at the university level were set up by the government following large-scale complaints of irregularities in appointments made by the state-level commission. Hundreds of teachers in the 62-65 years age bracket are finding themselves in a humiliating position as the state government is yet to take any decision on the age of teachers` retirement. The government is doing nothing to remove the confusion, even as the number of court cases in this matter is increasing day by day. The state government had notified revised UGC scales of pay for the teachers about 10 months back, but the payment is yet to start. A recent circular of the state government has directed the universities to deny new pay scales to those whose cases are pending in courts. Unless a meaningful dialogue is held between all stakeholders, the black clouds of uncertainty will continue to hover over the universities, said Federation of University Teachers` Associations of Bihar working president K B Sinha. Patna University economics teacher Nawal Kishore Chaudhary said that bad governance over the years has been the main cause of deterioration in higher education. University Acts and statutes are being blatantly violated by the powers that be and VCs are appointed without following the UGC recommendations.

PATNA: Even as the Nitish government has been able to bring in considerable improvement in the working of different sectors in the state, higher education is yet to feel his magical touch. The state machinery is yet to develop a mechanism to propel the ailing universities on the path of recovery.

Academics feel that the developments in the filed of higher education in recent years are not a healthy sign. Almost all the universities are being run on an ad hoc basis as they are not getting full-time regular vice-chancellors and pro-VCs. Even those who were appointed as full-time VCs are facing rough weather. The reported tug-of-war between the state government and the chancellor in matters concerning higher education has only complicated the matters, they say.

The dwindling strength of teachers, with no hurry being shown by the competent authorities to fill the vacancies, is telling upon the quality of education being imparted in colleges and universities. A S College, Bikramganj, the only constituent college at the subdivisional headquarters, has got a student strength of over 3500, but it has only seven teachers against a sanctioned strength of 54.

The government move to replace the existing university selection committees by the state-level university service commission is likely to delay the appointment of teachers. More than 50% of the sanctioned posts of teachers in different universities have fallen vacant in recent years. Surprisingly, the selection committees at the university level were set up by the government following large-scale complaints of irregularities in appointments made by the state-level commission.

Hundreds of teachers in the 62-65 years age bracket are finding themselves in a humiliating position as the state government is yet to take any decision on the age of teachers` retirement. The government is doing nothing to remove the confusion, even as the number of court cases in this matter is increasing day by day.

The state government had notified revised UGC scales of pay for the teachers about 10 months back, but the payment is yet to start. A recent circular of the state government has directed the universities to deny new pay scales to those whose cases are pending in courts. Unless a meaningful dialogue is held between all stakeholders, the black clouds of uncertainty will continue to hover over the universities, said Federation of University Teachers` Associations of Bihar working president K B Sinha.

Patna University economics teacher Nawal Kishore Chaudhary said that bad governance over the years has been the main cause of deterioration in higher education. University Acts and statutes are being blatantly violated by the powers that be and VCs are appointed without following the UGC recommendations.