Magadh University

The state government, in a bid to shape up the education scenario, planned various governance and financial reforms for quality teaching and improving attendance at schools and colleges but much of these schemes have failed to start or not delivering desired results.

Both the government schools as well as colleges face severe crunch of teachers and lack necessary infrastructure facilities, putting brakes on the government’s dream of providing quality education.

The state government this September started the process of teachers’ appointment at universities after a gap of 11 years through an open advertisement for filling up vacant posts. The teachers’ appointment would be carried out by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) for filling 3,364 posts in the rank of assistant professors, with UGC-NET and PhD as per the Mungekar committee 2009 recommendations mandatory for applying in teachers posts.

Though the teachers’ appointment at universities was welcomed by all, various students bodies protested against the PhD norms of the Mungekar committee recommendations because of the less number of candidates having PhD as per 2009 norms, the universities started implementing the the Mungekar committee norms for PhD in 2012 only.

The candidates who were protesting against the 2009 norms got a relief from Patna High Court. The high court directed the BPSC to provisionally allow candidates to submit their applications for teachers recruitment irrespective of whether their doctorate degrees conformed to the 2009 UGC regulations or not.

A senior education official on condition of anonymity said: “The high court directive is set to delay the appointment process of university teachers, as earlier the last date for submitting the application forms was November 20, but the high court has directed the BPSC to extend the form filling date. The new date for submitting the application forms is January 5. The official also stated that as per the government plan, the teachers’ appointment was to be completed before the next academic session but the high court directive is set to delay the teachers’ appointment process.”

“The scarcity of teachers at universities is the biggest roadblock in providing quality education, also the acute lack of will power of state government and chancellor to improve the academic environment of higher education has resulted in chaos and anarchy and corruption at universities at the cost of students’ future,” said Shiv Jatan Thakur, an English teacher at Patna University.

Education minister Brishen Patel said: “Though there is delay in university teachers appointment process once it is completed it will improve the quality education.”

Not only state universities, the picture of state government’s much-acclaimed plan to open the doors of private universities also presents a gloomy picture. In March last year, the cabinet approved the private universities bill for setting up private institutions for higher education. But even after passing of more than one and half year only, Amity Global Business School has been issued the letter of intent to set up its campus in Bihta, around 35km from Patna.

This October, the cabinet gave its nod to Amity Global Business School for setting up campus in Bihar. According to education department sources, there are around seven to eight private institutions, which have submitted their proposals for setting up their campus in state, but, the committee which is looking the proposal is yet to give final nod to these institutions.

Sources said the delay in giving nod to private universities proposals is because committee comprises vice chancellors of different universities who are already burden with their varsity work. The idea behind state government logic to set up private universities was to check state students moving to other states for pursuing higher education. However, the state government decision of setting up private universities has invited wrath from teaching community.

N.K. Chaudhary, principal, Patna College, said: “The state government’s decision to set up private universities is a sinister design to destroy state universities. With private universities, state universities situation will be similar to government schools and government hospital.”

The only solace for the state government in higher education this year is a gift of IIM campus from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, but the state government too has failed to submit the proposal site for IIM campus.