Sido-Kanhu Murmu University in Dumka

Dumka, Aug. 25: With the Sido-Kanhu Murmu University (SKMU) failing to recruit even a single professor in each of the 13 postgraduate departments so far, the varsity has run the risk of losing its UGC recognition.

The institute, carved out of Bhagalpur University in 1992, had received recognition in 2006 after persistent efforts.

According to UGC guidelines, the posting of professors, readers and lecturers should be in the ratio of 1: 2: 4 in all the PG departments. But this arrangement has not been maintained ever since the move of the varsity administration to de-notify the promotion of 22 teachers by the then vice chancellor Victor Tigga in December 2009.

The teachers were earlier provisionally promoted by his predecessor P.C. Hembrom to post of professors on the basis of recommendation of the screening committee.

The panel had recommended to Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) for promotion of these teachers from the rank of readers to that of professors after scrutinising their service status and other criterion in 2006.

The then vice-chancellor, P.C. Hembrom notified promotion of teachers anticipating that JPSC would approve the same. But the JPSC remained silent on the issue for years.

Hembrom had taken the move to ensure that the varsity qualifies for the UGC recognition. These teachers were posted in all the postgraduate departments just ahead of the scheduled arrival of an UGC inspection team in 2006.

The UGC finally granted recognition to the varsity, enabling it for the annual grants to which it was throughout deprived. The vacant posts of professors caused by their demotion is viewed here to be a serious lapse from part of the varsity administration in terms of misguiding the central funding agency.

Former varsity registrar Manoj Kumar Sinha told The Telegraph that the promotion of these teachers to the rank of professors was withheld by Tigga on JPSC’s directive, which after a prolonged gap turned down the screening committee recommendation citing large-scale anomalies.

Sinha, however, said the fresh list of varsity teachers has been submitted by the screening committee following the demotion of the 22 professors and readers. But the JPSC is yet to approve the same.

But the teachers are blaming the varsity administration for demotion and have threatened to launch an agitation. “Our promotion has been duly approved by both top-ranking bodies of the varsity — the senate and the syndicate” Gagan Thakur of the postgraduate botany department said.