Setback

Jharkhand’s lone state-administered engineering cradle is bracing for losing out on funds worth Rs 15 crore due to teacher shortage, an imminent setback for the institute as it inches closer to realising its long-cherished dream of autonomy.

A sense of gloom is palpable among the staff of BIT-Sindri, who fear the prospect of failing to qualify for the second phase of funds under the World Bank-assisted Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP).

The teacher strength of BIT-Sindri after a recent selection of 13 recruits is set to increase from 43 to just below 50 per cent, but it falls agonisingly short of the crucial criterion of 55 per cent required of an institute to avail of TEQIP funds.

The sanctioned faculty strength at the institute is 195. Following the selection of the 13 teachers in August 10, their number has gone up to 98.

Accusing the government of blighting BIT-Sindri’s chances of receiving the funds, a senior faculty member of the institute said the administration was unduly favouring private institutes. “A funds-starved BIT-Sindri is being neglected, which is clear from the fact that the state is yet to approve the fresh panel for the board of governors, a proposal that was sent to the government more than six months ago,” he said, requesting anonymity.

BIT-Sindri director S.K. Singh said the institute was taking every possible step to meet the requirements for receiving the funds. He pointed out that the institute had already started making preparations for the proposed visit of a five-member UGC inspection team, which is scheduled to visit BIT-Sindri in November to look into its demand for autonomy.

“We are far ahead of many engineering institutes in various aspects such as infrastructure, postgraduate courses, quality of teachers and regular attendance. However, it is a pity that the institute is on the verge of losing the second phase of funds under TEQIP,” said another senior faculty member.

Denying charges of neglect, director (technical education), science and technology, Arun Kumar, said the department had not turned a blind eye to BIT-Sindri, adding that he had even asked Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) to soon come out with the list of successful teachers to hasten the appointment of the 13 new teachers.

Notably, BIT-Sindri had been selected for the first phase of TEQIP along with BIT-Mesra and two government polytechnic institutes, one each in Dumka and Ranchi.

BIT-Sindri received Rs 12 crore in the first phase of TEQIP in 2006-07 while BIT-Mesra was granted an aid of Rs 18 crore. The two polytechnic institutes, on the other hand, altogether received Rs 36 crore.

The thrust of the first phase of TEQIP, under which long-term soft loans are provided to technical institutes, was on infrastructure development while the emphasis of the second phase will be on research and development.

BIT-Sindri had recently upgraded its postgraduate, including Mtech, and PhD courses. The cradle was expected to get Rs 15 crore in the second phase of TEQIP, under which Rs 2,000 crore is to be distributed among 200 institutes across the country.

Two private institutes of Jharkhand — BIT-Mesra and Cambridge Institute of Technology — have already been selected for the second phase of funds under TEQIP while BIT-Sindri was provisionally selected for the programme subject to its final selection after fulfilling all criteria before October 31.