Patna: The Assembly on Monday passed the Bihar State University Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which will pave the way for continuing the appointment of assistant professors through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).
The amendment was necessary to complete the appointment process of 3,364 assistant professors in different universities, of which the BPSC has so far recommended appointment of 1,354 assistant professors. There were doubts over the rest of the appointments after enactment of the Bihar State University Service Commission Act, 2017, which had a provision according to which all the appointment process started earlier would come to an end.
Education minister Krishna Nandan Verma tabled the amendment bill amid slogan raising RJD MLAs who were standing in the Well protesting against the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
As din prevailed in the House, Congress MLA Ramdeo Rai and RJD MLA Samir Mahaseth didn't move their amendments in the bill and even the education minister just tabled his written reply justifying the state government's move to introduce the amendment.
As Opposition members didn't take part in the passage of the bill, Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary informed the House that the bill had been passed through voice vote.
The education minister, in his written reply, stated that stopping the appointment of college teachers midway in light of the provisions of the Bihar State University Service Commission Act, 2017, was not in the interest of students hence the government had come up with the amendment.
He said the number of vacancies against which the BPSC had issued the advertisements would be filled on the basis of recommendations made by the commission.
The shortage of teachers has affected academic activities at universities in the state. Around 5,000 posts - half of all teaching posts - are vacant in nine universities, including Patna and Magadh universities, and appointment of 3,364 teachers will help.
