Human resource development minister PK Shahi and industries minister Renu Kumari at the foundation day celebrations of JD Women’s College on Tuesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Sept. 13: Human resource development (HRD) minister P.K. Shahi today nailed Governor Devanand Konwar for his decision of recruiting vice-chancellor of universities of Bihar, which has been creating a tug-of-war situation between Konwar and the state government for a long time.

Shahi made the point speaking as the chief guest at the foundation day ceremony of JD Women’s College today.

A cultural programme was also organised wherein the students performed dandiya, Ganesh Vandana, pihu and Bhojpuri folk dances. The foundation day was celebrated in the new auditorium, which was inaugurated today. The building has four floors, sprawled across 5,500sqft. The air-conditioned auditorium equipped with modern lighting on the ground floor has a seating capacity of around 700. A source said the total expenditure for constructing the building was around Rs 3 crore, while the college has received Rs 1 crore from an MLA’s fund.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ceremony, Shahi, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said: “We are trying to bring out the necessary amendments in the Bihar State University Act, 1976, which states the vice-chancellor shall exercise general control over the education arrangement because it has created a lot of problems in our efforts for development in higher education. A lot of work is yet to be done but we feel a person with constitutional powers is blocking our way. The state government wants to ensure development in universities but only because the plans are not according to the likes of a particular person, it is being rejected.”

Shahi also took the occasion to attack Lalu Prasad. “When the Nitish Kumar-led government came to power the first time, the situation was already critical in the primary and higher education sectors. There was despair everywhere. However, I don’t mean to say the situation was like that of the 1990s. Earlier also, there had not been much development work in education. But it is true that from the 1990s to the period before NDA came into power, the situation was considered to be very bad,” said Shahi.

He added that around 2.7 crore children are now enrolled in primary schools but only 50 to 60 per cent attendance is registered. He said there is a requirement of around 50,000 teachers but the state has a capacity to train only 4,000-5,000 because of shortage of teachers’ training schools.

Talking about the college from its time of inception, Shahi said: “I was in Class XI when this college was started in 1971 at the residence of a lawyer, Lalit Kishore, in Boring Road area. Kishore was my distant maternal uncle and I often visited this college. The college has now shifted to a bigger campus. I will try to help this college in whatever way it is possible. From assigning funds to giving green light to development works, it will be my area of concern,” said Shahi.

Sitaram Singh, director, higher education, said the college should try for accreditation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council.