Gaya: The bifurcation of Magadh University and creation of Pataliputra University will sever more than half of the existing manpower and infrastructure of the parent body taking away 19 of the 44 constituent units of the varsity established in 1962.

Earlier, education minister Krishnanadan Verma said the bifurcation agenda was being acted upon fast.

According to MU vice-chancellor Qamar Ahsan, besides losing 25 of the 44constituent units to Pataliputra University, MU would also lose three of the four government-funded minority colleges and 34 of the 73 affiliated colleges.

The colleges being carved out of MU for being attached with Patliputra University are located in Patna and Nalanda districts. MU will retain colleges located in Gaya, Aurangabad, Nawada, Jehanabad and Arwal districts, said Ahsan. The VC said that he has constituted a committee to work out the modalities of the bifurcation. Distribution of assets and liabilities would not be much of a problem, claimed the VC.

Though the VC did not give more details, sources said 55 per cent of the nearly 500 non-teaching employees of the university headquarters would be shifted to Patliputra University. The employees likely to be shifted to the new university could include some leaders of the employees' union.

The Bihar government, through a legislation passed in 2017, vetted the creation of three new universities in the state, including Patliputra University. The headquarters of Pataliputra University is to be located in the Beur (central jail is located in the vicinity) area of the state capital.

According to Congress leader Balram Sharma, three of MU's ex-VCs have been to Beur Central Jail in connection with degrees and appointment scams. A fourth ex-VC, SC Mukherjee, narrowly escaped going to Beur Jail on being granted conditional bail by Patna High Court. Mukherjee was a judge of Patna High Court before being appointed MU VC on reaching the HC's superannuation age, said Sharma.

"There is going to be little respite for MU authorities as it will continue to be haunted by the innumerable degree scams including the one in which an ACP-rank officer of the Punjab police was appointed on the basis of an alleged fake MU degree, said Shiv Jatan Thakur, a higher education whistle blower.

Police from more than half-a-dozen states, including Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, are investigating degree related cases, said MU VC Ahsan in his address delivered at the annual meet, 2018, of the university senate a couple of weeks back.