Patna, March 22: A central university named after Mahatma Gandhi is in dire straits at a time the state government is going all out to mark 100 years of the Father of the Nation's tryst with Bihar.

The Mahatma Gandhi Central University at Motihari - which launched its academic session in October - may not be able to admit students in the next academic session.

The university offers 12 undergraduate and two postgraduate courses covering 317 students. "We are functioning from the Zilla School campus, which has six rooms," university vicechancellor Arvind Agarwal said. "The university built small, additional, staff rooms with plywood and glass. We have on several occasions urged the state government to provide us extra space, but the education department has not yet provided us the same. If it fails to do so, we will not be in a position to admit students next session." The university administration has also requested the department to provide Karpoori Chatravas where the university can function in a more spacious area, but there has been no response yet.

The vice-chancellor's outburst comes at a time when the state government is pulling out all stops to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi's arrival in Bihar and the launch of the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917. The tourism department even proposes to develop a tourist bungalow and a museum at Bhitiharwa Ashram in Gaunaha block where Gandhi ji stayed during the Champaran Satyagraha.

The faculty members rued the state government's inefficiency in providing land for a new campus. Sources said the state government identified around 300 acres at Bariyarpur in Motihari, but the varsity still has not received possession letter of the land.

"We have tried to meet the demands of varsity," a senior education official said on condition of anonymity. "As per central government policy, if the university wants extra space they can get any other premises on rent."

"The state government should take interest in the Mahatma Gandhi Central University," a senior faculty said on condition of anonymity. "After all, it was on Nitish's initiative that Motihari received a second central university which was named after Mahatma Gandhi." Nitish had announced setting up of the Central University in Motihari during his Seva Yatra in November 2007. He insisted on Motihari, 160km northwest of Patna, for the central university, as Mahatma Gandhi had launched his movement from Champaran in 1917. Union HRD minister Prakash Javedkar and his deputy, Upendra Kushwaha, inaugurated the varsity's academic session last October, fulfilling a longpending demand.

In the past year, the university has inked MoUs with different institutions such as the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in New Delhi and AIIMS Patna.