Patna: Patna University teachers working at Patna Women's College (PWC) have decided to seek legal opinion about their service condition and status once the varsity notifies PWC an autonomous college.

PWC, one of the constituent colleges of Patna University, last week received a letter from the University Grants Commission (UGC), according it autonomous status. However, it can acquire autonomous status only after Patna University notifies it.

Though the college has sent the UGC's letter to the vice-chancellor, pro-VC and the registrar's office, seeking autonomous status, the varsity administration is in no hurry. "The university administration is in no mood to notify PWC as an autonomous college immediately," Patna University (PU) registrar Rabindra Kumar said. "Under the Patna University Act there is no mention of granting autonomous status to constituent colleges."

The registrar claimed they will seek legal opinion before according autonomous status to PWC, established in 1940.

While the PU administration is in no hurry, PU teachers working at PWC are sceptical about their status and service condition. "We have decided to seek legal opinion about our changing service condition and status once PWC attains autonomous status," said a senior teacher from PU working at PWC. "We have also decided to study the service conditions of teachers in different autonomous educational institutions."

The teacher claimed they have approached both the college as well as university administration but there is still no clarity on their service conditions.

Around 22 teachers at PWC are on PU's rolls. Sixteen of those teachers are working for decades while six were appointed in the past year. Over 100 teachers are working on ad-hoc basis. The teachers were appointed by the college administration and get a consolidated salary per class.

The issue of PU notifying PWC as an autonomous college is also likely to get delayed as the PU teachers' association (Puta) has decided to approach the high court on granting autonomous status to PWC.

"The teachers' association has decided to approach the high court against granting autonomous status to PWC," Puta president Randhir Kumar Singh said. "There is no mention of granting autonomous status to any constituent college under the Patna University Act, 1976. Once PWC is given autonomous status, other colleges, too, will seek autonomous status from the varsity."

The Puta president's statement assumes importance as in the past few decades several institutions, such as NIT-Patna and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) were carved out of PU.