BIT Sindri. File picture

Dhanbad, Aug. 2: The only state-owned engineering institute of Jharkhand, BIT, Sindri, may be burning the midnight oil to stake claim to World Bank funds, but a large number of vacancies in faculty positions is making it difficult for it to fulfil a key criteria for being selected for the largesse.

One of the several pre-conditions for qualifying for Bank funds for phase two of technical education quality improvement programme (TEQIP) is that at least 60 per cent faculty positions are to be filled up. And the last date for sending in applications or detailed project reports is August 16.

BIT, Sindri, director S.K. Singh, who returned here after attending a World Bank-organised workshop of various heads of similar institutes at New Delhi recently, said although his institute fulfilled all the other criteria — including the one about 15 per cent engineering teachers having PhDs — the shortage of faculty members was the only drawback.

“As there is competition between different institutes for getting the funds we are slightly concerned,” he admitted.

Apart from BIT, Sindri, four other institutions of the state are applying for the fund. They are: Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad; National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT), Ranchi; NIT Jamshedpur and BIT, Mesra.

BIT, Sindri, has already received Rs 12.37 crore under phase I of TEQIP which concluded last year. While phase I was about developing basic infrastructure, phase II focuses on promoting research and development in the institute.

There are various other criteria for an institute to qualify for the fund.

As many as 140 institutions from across the country with 50 per cent faculty positions filled up, at least five teachers with PhDs and 50 with MTechs are to get the Rs 10 crore as grant in aid under the phase II.

This apart, 60 other institutes with 60 per cent faculty positions filled up, 60 per cent undergraduate engineering courses accredited and 40 per cent post graduate courses accredited are to get a Rs 12 crore grant.

The Bank is also providing funds for developing 30 other institutes that have 70 per cent of faculty positions filled up and have awarded at least 10 PhDs and 50 MTechs in the last five years into centres of excellence.

BIT, Sindri, with 80 per cent under-graduate courses accredited, however, qualifies for the Rs 12 crore grant, but a short-staffed faculty is proving to be its biggest hurdle.

At present, it has only 88 teachers out of sanctioned posts of 195.

This means, its present strength is only 40.25 per cent of the sanctioned strength.

Singh, however, was still hopeful.

“We have requested the government time and again to fill vacancies in the institute’s faculty positions and we will now request the state administration to depute teachers meant for the upcoming engineering colleges in Ramgarh, Dumka and Chaibasa. The JPSC advertisement to recruit these teachers was out yesterday,” he said, adding he would also put in a word with the science and technology department.

Singh said that though the deputation of teachers would help BIT, Sindri, the only solution was fresh appointments by putting out a separate advertisement.

“We have already provided the details to the state administration,” he said.