Teachers' crunch in various departments of Patna University coupled with a sluggish appointment process will hamper classes in the ensuing academic session likely to start in July.

Patna University had 172 of the 3,364 teaching post vacancies in nine universities. However, even after over three years, Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has cleared appointment of only 27 teachers who are to join Patna University before the new session.

The subjects for which the university will get new teachers include English, economics, philosophy and psychology.

"The fresh lot of teachers joining the varsity in July will not serve the purpose of teachers' shortage in the varsity," Patna University Teachers' Association (Puta) president Randhir Kumar Singh said. "Though new teachers will join the varsity, a large numbers of teachers will retire by end of this year."

According to Singh, by end-2017, around 25 teachers will retire from PU, triggering a scarcity. Against the sanctioned strength of around 850 teachers in Patna University, the state's oldest varsity runs with just around 270 teachers.

University registrar Ravindra Kumar said: "The state government has provided a list of selected candidates for four subjects. We hope that more teachers join the varsity after the education department sends us a fresh list of selected candidates."

Like other universities, Patna University, too, expected to get its quota of teachers ahead of academic session 2017-18, but even after the passage of over three years, BPSC is yet to complete the teachers' appointment process.

The teachers' crunch will hit students the most.

Alok Chandra, a postgraduate student at Patna Science College, said: "The PU's postgraduate departments suffer from teachers' shortage. Seven teachers teach physics, mathematics and statistics to more than 350 first- and second-year PG students."

In September 2014, the education department had advertised vacancies for 3,345 teachers in state universities. But the recruitment is yet to be completed.

"All three agencies engaged in the recruitment process can be blamed for delay in the appointment process," a selected candidate who had applied for an assistant professor's post in English at PU, said. "BPSC, which interviewed the candidates, took over two years to complete the process. Next, the education department kept the process hanging by not sending the list of selected candidates to the varsities concerned."

"Third, when the universities received the list of selected candidates, they sat on the list on the pretext of verifying the candidates' certificates, which BPSC had already done during their interview." added the candidate.

Sources said when Rash Bihari Prasad Singh joined Patna University as its vice-chancellor, the teachers' recruitment process gained momentum but the varsity is yet to receive the list of candidates in all major subjects such as history, geography, mathematics, physics and Hindi besides others.