The state government may be concentrating on school enrolments with the April launch of Vidyalaya Chale, Chalayen Abhiyan, but higher education is in total disarray.
Most state-run colleges are functioning with only half the number of teachers they are entitled to, and some colleges of Kolhan University don't have a single teacher.
There has been no teacher recruitment in the state in the last seven years.
Vice chancellor of Kolhan University R.P.P. Singh has written to the state HRD department and Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) to request urgent recruitment of teachers for 14 constituent colleges.
"Inadequate number of teaching and non-teaching staff affects regular classes. We have already sent a proposal to the JPSC and HRD department and a meeting was held at Raj Bhawan recently to discuss the issue. A fresh statute was proposed for the recruitment process. We also discussed the possibility of introducing an ordinance," said Singh.
According to university sources, Baharagora College, about 80km from Jamshedpur, is functioning with seven teachers when it has 20 posts.
At Ghatshila College, there are 11 teachers out of 34 sanctioned posts. There are only eight teachers at Tata College, Chaibasa, which is entitled to 60. Mahila College, Chaibasa, has 21 vacant posts out of 42.
At Singhbhum College, Chandil, 13 out of 26 teachers' posts are lying vacant.
This apart, several departments in various colleges have no teacher at all. Students are left with no choice but to take the help of private tutors.
At Singhbhum College, Chandil, there are no teachers in the history department, at K.S. College, Seraikela, there are no teachers in philosophy and economics departments and at Ghatshila College, zoology and physics departments run without teachers.
"The higher education in Jharkhand is in doldrums and Kolhan is no exception. Majority of students do not come to college because there are no teachers. We can't blame them. They prefer sitting at home, taking private tuitions and referring to reference material to give their examinations," said a mathematics lecturer of a Jamshedpur college.
