College of Arts and Crafts in Patna. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, July 19: The present and former students of Patna University-affiliated College of Arts and Crafts are divided over the reported move of the state human resource development (HRD) department to shift it under Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU).

A section of the students of College of Arts and Crafts, which is said to be one-of-its-kind in Bihar and Jharkhand, have launched an agitation against the government’s likely move to shift the college from PU to AKU. Their seniors are in favour of changing its affiliation.

A senior officer of the state HRD department, on condition of anonymity, said: “The government wants to develop the College of Arts and Crafts as a centre of excellence because it is the only institution in Bihar and Jharkhand that teaches art as a subject.”

The senior officer also said that since the state government wants to develop the college as a centre of excellence, it feels the AKU authorities would manage it better since the university has a new act and would have “little interference” from the Governor House unlike the other universities of Bihar.

According to the state government’s plans, all the engineering, medical, BEd and other new colleges would be under AKU, which has its own act and stricture. Under this provision, the state HRD department wants the College of Arts and Crafts to be under AKU, a source said.

Former students of the college raised the issue of shifting the college from PU to AKU during Bihar Divas. College of Arts and Crafts principal Atul Aditya Pandey said a few days back some former students of the college had submitted a memorandum to the HRD principal secretary, Anjani Kumar Singh, demanding, among many other things, the transfer of the college to AKU. The alumni had also demanded the state to take necessary steps for the betterment of the institution.

Sources said the HRD has initiated this transfer only after receiving the memorandum from the alumni.

PU vice-chancellor Sudipto Adhikari said: “We have not received any order from the state HRD department about shifting the college from PU to AKU. The HRD had said the interest of PU regarding College of Arts and Crafts would be taken into consideration.”

The HRD principal secretary said shifting of College of Arts and Crafts to AKU would help upgrade the college, as there would be regular appointments of teachers and infrastructure development of the college would be ensured. Singh said the HRD department had sanctioned the posts of principal and teachers a year ago but the appointments were still to be done.

Founded in 1939, the College of Arts and Crafts has produced many national as well as international-level artists. Subodh Gupta and Sanjay Kumar are former students of the College of Arts and Crafts.