Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, June 19
An acute shortage of academic administrators in the universities of Bihar for the last two years has put a question mark on reforms in higher education in Bihar.
Ad-hocism marks the functioning of the universities in Bihar as offices of several Vice-Chancellors, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, registrars, financial advisers and finance officers lack regular appointees. At present nine out of 13 universities are without regular vice-chancellors.
Shortage of Vice-Chancellors too has hit the working of the universities as one Vice-Chancellor is holding offices at four universities from Darbhanga, Patna to Ara. On June 14, the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Agriculture University was given to Dr Ravindra Kumar, Director of extension services. Even the offices of the vice-chancellors in non-conventional universities like Maulana Majrahul Haq Arabic and Persian university and Aryabhatt Knowledge University are lying vacant and held on ad-hoc basis by Vice-Chancellors of other universities.
On June 2, Chancellor-cum-Governor, Fagu Chauhan removed Prof D P Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor of Veer Kunwar Singh University, Ara on charges of not cooperating with the two members inquiry committee set up by Raj Bhawan to probe administrative irregularities. The Chancellor handed over the university to Magadh University Vice Chancellor, Rajendra Prasad. This was the first case when a Vice Chancellor was forced to go on leave by the Chancellor since he protested against inquiry by the teacher juniors to him.
Prof Surendra Prasad Singh, Vice Chancellor of L N Mithila University, Darbhanga is lucky as he is holding offices of Vice-Chancellor at Patliputra University, Aryabhatt Knowledge University and Arabic and Persian University.
Prof Hanuman Prasad Pandey-Vice-Chancellor of B R Ambedkar University holds the office of VC of Nalanda Open University. Ms Neelima Gupta, Vice-Chancellor Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University has been given additional charge of Munger University too.
Purnia University pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rajnath Yadav is holding additional as VC. In neighbouring B N Mandal University, Madhepura, a senior teacher, R K P Raman has been asked to look after the job of Vice Chancellor.
Nine out of 13 universities in the state are without Vice-Chancellors. Majority of the universities are having pro-Vice-Chancellors, registrars, FAs holding charges in more than two universities.
Now, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced a separate Sports university would be opened in the state.
The Chancellor’s office has received over 500 applications for the posts of Vice-Chancellors in different universities. The search and screening committees are examining these applications and inviting the candidates in batches for interview. In 2013, the Supreme Court had quashed appointments of all Vice-Chancellors made by the then Chancellor, Devanand Kunwar as they were irregular.
