Ram Jatan Sinha, who had the shortest term as Patna Science College principal, listed the college's woes two days before retiring. He was appointed principal on September 1.

M.N. Sinha, the postgraduate head of geology department, will take over as principal on October 1 and retire on January 31 next year.

"Taking into account shortage of staff and poor infrastructure at the college, I've written to the chief minister, chief secretary and other senior officials, requesting them to strengthen college infrastructure," he told a press conference on Tuesday. "As teachers' recruitment is pending, we've asked state government to provide grants for ad-hoc teachers. The college is running with just 29 teachers. Till 1990, the college had 43 teachers in the physics department and 42 in the chemistry department.

"The boundary wall is broken at places. Outsiders enter and create nuisance." He had written to the senior superintendent of police and district magistrate to deploy police and erect a police picket, but no action has been initiated.

Quizzed about his short tenure, he said: "A senior teacher is appointed as principal of an institution based on his seniority."