Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University

The Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University has deputed 60 teachers from the constituent colleges to its postgraduate departments for an upcoming NAAC evaluation, surprising the authorities concerned.

Teachers from constituent colleges in Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Bettiah, Hajipur and Sitamarhi among other locations have been deputed in the postgraduate departments for four months. The order was issued on Monday to address the faculty shortage problem. It comes before an evaluation by the University Grants Commission’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) expected in March next year.

“The university has submitted a letter of intent to the UGC for an inspection by a peer team of NAAC in March 2015. Extra teachers have been deputed in the postgraduate departments for four months to handle the vacancies. The order was issued on Monday,” said the university’s development officer, Kalyan Kumar Jha.

The move has, however, affected classes in the constituent colleges.

Principal of Mahila Shilp Kala Bhavan College, Muzaffarpur, Nirmala Singh said she was surprised to see two history teachers being deputed in the postgraduate departments at the cost of education at the constituent institution. The college’s history department had only two teachers.

“It would be difficult to run the college’s history department which has 400 honours students across the three years. We are also preparing for a NAAC evaluation next year and this could deny the college a good grade,” said Singh.

Langat Singh College, recently awarded grade A by the NAAC, has lost 11 teachers to the university. Aiming for the tag of “college with potential for excellence”, principal Amrendra Narayan Yadav is worried.

He said: “I would request vice-chancellor Pandit Palande to exempt the Langat Singh College teachers from the list. The institution is preparing for the tag of college with potential for excellence from the NAAC.”

Munshi Singh College in Motihari, recently awarded grade B by the Naac, has only one English teacher — Mohammad Iqbal Husain. He, too, has been deputed in the postgraduate department.

Arun Kumar Singh, the secretary of the Teachers’ Service Association, said: “Deputation of teachers should be strictly need based and not whimsical. Several of the teachers deputed in the postgraduate departments have featured in the list of already given during NAAC evaluation of the constituent colleges. Now, their names will again appear in the list furnished by the university. The NAAC would certainly take note of it.”

A source said the NAAC can take action such as showcausing the university for duplication of teachers.