Newly appointed vice chancellor of Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) Parvinder Kaushal met governor-cum-chancellor Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday and urged her to instruct the state government to expedite the appointment process of teaching and non-teaching staff, as manpower crunch is affecting the university's research and academic activities.
Raj Bhavan sources said the VC requested Murmu to conduct the recruitment of qualified teachers through Jharkhand Public Service Commission and non-teaching staff through Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission.
Kaushal also proposed that the recruitment process should be completed in three months in view of the next academic session, beginning July. Murmu is learnt to have asked agriculture secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni to hold a meeting on Thursday to initiate the appointment process.
Kaushal told reporters that a number of departments were running without teachers or had skeletal staff.
"I don't have the exact figure of teaching staff at BAU and its colleges as we are still compiling the same. On an average, there is only 60 per cent teaching workforce. We are deeply worried over the fate of Ranchi Veterinary College. Veterinary Council of India had derecognised the college because of inadequate number of faculty members. The governor has assured us her support," VC Kaushal said.
Ranchi Veterinary College has only 22 teachers against 100 sanctioned posts. The agriculture department has only 50 per cent of the required number of teachers.
The agricultural statistics and crop physiology departments are running without a teacher.
Six new agricultural colleges in Jharkhand at Deoghar, Garhwa, Godda, Dumka, Gumla and Ranchi have been inaugurated by the state government under BAU. The university is under pressure to start the academic session from this year at a time only 80 per cent of infrastructure work have been completed.
Meanwhile, Kaushal said a training centre for skill development would be opened at the university for farmers. BAU will also revive a plan under which local farmers can visit other states for exchange of ideas.
