Patna, Jan. 2: Higher education in the state has been neglected and has remained mired in controversies throughout last year though Nitish Kumar and his government have been boasting of ushering in change in the education sector.

Higher education institutions witnessed many ups and downs in 2010.

The year started with an unprecedented row between the chancellor and the state government over the appointment of vice-chancellors of Magadh and Veer Kunwar Singh universities.

The chancellor of universities had appointed the vice-chancellors of these universities without taking the state government into confidence.

The human resource development (HRD) department did not recognise the new vice-chancellors appointed by the chancellor. Later, the HRD department issued a directive for seizure of all financial powers of the new VCs and the pro-vice-chancellors of these universities were asked to function as VCs of the respective universities. The matter was settled after the chief minister intervened in the matter.

In July, the academic atmosphere in the state universities came to a standstill after university teachers and non-teaching employees called strikes, demanding pay revision.

Though the strike by teachers came to an end within a fortnight, the strike by non-teaching employees continued for more than 50 days. Classes were suspended and non-teaching employees paralysed the academic atmosphere in many colleges by sitting in front of the college gate. Though the government conceded their demands, it pushed the academic calendar back. Moreover, the teachers and non-teaching employees protested against delay in fixation of their salaries. The HRD department had asked the respective universities to fix the salaries of teachers and non-teaching employees according to the Sixth Pay Commission and letters were sent to the respective universities.

However, till December, only Patna University has sent the pay fixation report to the HRD department. Patna University Teachers’ Association (Puta) general secretary Randhir Kumar Singh said: “Though Patna University has fixed the salaries of teachers and non-teaching employees, the pay fixation report contained many anomalies.”

Apart from pay fixation of teachers and non-teaching employees, the government is yet to decide on the age of superannuation of college and university teachers.

At present, the teachers who retired on or after June 2010 at the age of 62 have been permitted to continue in service till 65 by the Patna High Court.

Apart from these, the varsities are suffering a shortage of teachers in colleges and at the postgraduate-level.

There are many colleges and departments running with even half the sanctioned strength of teachers.

However, there were some positive steps taken by the government as Chanakya National Law University started functioning from its new building at Mithapur.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the new state-of-the-art building in July. Moreover, a project was prepared for setting up Nalanda International University, which the Union government approved. Work would start on the project shortly.