Only 87 out of 10,000 students of Patna University have taken part in the online process to select the best teacher to be felicitated on September 5.

Though the facility has been open for the past 10 days, few have gone online to vote for their favourite teachers.

Every year, students take part in the process to evaluate their teachers by grading them under various heads like knowledge, preparation for class, ability and efforts to inspire and motivate students, selection of course material and availability to help students after class.

Till last year, students had to fill up the evaluation form manually. But from this year, the process has been made online.

Sources said lack of interest, poor knowledge of Internet and absence of proper counselling and guidance from the authorities has resulted in low participation in the process.

Patna College student Anand Shankar said: “We have no idea how to fill up the forms, as there is no proper counselling either from the varsity administration or college authorities.”

Anand has not yet submitted the online forms.

The university authorities, however, contradict the claim.

Patna University computer in-charge K.P. Singh said complete information about how a student has to fill up the form has been provided on the varsity’s website, www.patnauniversity.ac.in.

He said: “According to the guidelines provided on the website students have to fill up an information form on the home page. After submitting the form, the student will get a unique identification number.

“They will get a password as well. They just have to log in and give feedback about the teachers.”

The varsity authorities, however, are aware of some of the problems faced by the students.

“Some of the students are facing problem submitting the online forms, as they do not have an user ID. The user account for the students have to be created by the college principals or heads of departments,” said Singh.

He added: “Many teachers and college authorities are not very proficient with computers. When students approach them to get passwords, they are unable to provide it.”

According to the plan of the varsity, the best teacher to be felicitated on Teachers’ Day will be selected from teachers’ self-appraisal, students’ appraisal of teachers, evaluation made by the principal or the HoD and a seven-member committee headed by the vice-chancellor.

Last year, five teachers — Amarendra Mishra, the head of the postgraduate statistics department, Arun Kamal, the head of the postgraduate English department, Shankar Ashish Dutta, a teacher in the English department, Asha Singh, an economics teacher of Magadh Mahila College, and Meena Kishore, a psychology teacher at Patna Women’s College — were chosen through an excellence assessment and evaluation by students.