Jamshedpur, Feb. 20: Kolhan University has come up with a stopgap measure to fill vacancies in the staff room.

The university has decided to appoint postgraduate toppers and retired professors till the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) begins its recruitment process.

At a syndicate meeting at the university headquarters in Chaibasa yesterday, it was decided that former students who had topped in postgraduation would get a chance to work as a teaching assistant for Rs 4,000 per month. Retired professors can continue to teach for a monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 per month.

“We are short-staffed and at the same time, we can’t leave the students in the lurch. So, we decided to recruit former students and retired professors, who can teach both at the university and its constituent colleges till JPSC hires regular teachers. A topper can teach for a maximum period of a year after which the next topper will be employed. We will follow this practice for all subjects,” said Salil Roy, vice chancellor of Kolhan University.

Five retired professors have already agreed to return to classroom. Roy had introduced the same concept at Nilambar-Pitambar University in Daltonganj, where he had served as the vice chancellor.

It was further decided at the meeting that colleges with more than 5,000 students would get Rs 1 lakh to purchase new books and Rs 50,000 to upgrade the laboratories. Colleges with less than 5,000 students will get Rs 50,000 for books and Rs 25,000 to improve their laboratories.

Kolhan University will also start audio-visual classes at Jamshedpur Women’s College on an experimental basis. Depending on its success, the model will be implemented in other colleges as well. In these classes, students will be able to download their notes instead of taking dictation.

The university will also cough up Rs 35,000 for developing its website, www.kolhanuniversity.org, which is being constructed by Jamshedpur-based Unitech Company.

It will soon advertise vacancies for recruiting teachers for BEd and vocational courses at its colleges.

“A proposal will be sent to Raj Bhavan regarding the formation of a central library and a centre for indigenous studies with cultural heritage for Ho and Santhali. Tribal studies is important and soon the university will recruit teachers who have cracked the National Eligibility Test and Jharkhand Eligibility Test for tribal languages,” Roy added.