Patna, March 1: The Bihar government has decided to set up a commission to fill up the vacant posts of teachers in universities across the state.
Bihar human resource development minister P.K. Shahi made the announcement in the Assembly today while reacting to the question of RJD MLA Akhtarul Iman.
In the first session of the Assembly, Iman said: “After 2003, no teacher has been appointed in the universities of Bihar and out of 13,800 approved posts, more than 6,000 are lying vacant and the state government has failed to fill them up. This has affected the studies of thousands of students.”
He added: “In 2007-2008, the state government had made the University Selection Committee for the appointment of teachers. Despite this, the procedure of selection of teachers did not take off. I want to know when this problem would be solved and why action has not been taken against the officers concerned.”
Responding to Iman’s question, Shahi said: “I accept that the scarcity of teachers in the universities and students are facing problems on this front. Once the bill is passed by both the Houses with the governor’s approval, we will fill up the vacant posts.”
Taking a strong note on the issue, Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui intervened in the matter and said: “The government has promised to set up commission but we want to know when would this be complete, we want the timeframe within which the particular issue would be resolved.”
Shahi replied: “I will ensure that the work is completed in the given time.”
While speaking to The Telegraph on the issue of setting a commission, Siddiqui said: “I don’t think that the state government is serious on the matter because in 2005, the same government has set up University Service Commission, headed by the vice-chancellors, to appoint and fill the vacant posts but it was abolished the same year. Many such acts have been passed in both the Houses but nothing has materialised.”
BJP MLA Amrendra Pratap Singh said in the House that six engineering colleges in the state do not have teachers: “Of 427 sanctioned posts, only 152 teachers are teaching, thereby hampering students’ studies. Owing to scarcity of teachers, the students are not able to complete their syllabus and that jeopardises their careers in the broader perspective.”
