Varsity leaves students stranded

BHUBANESWAR, AUG 8: Utkal University is rated as of the best universities in the country. But over one-fourth of the teaching posts in 32...

BHUBANESWAR, AUG 8: Utkal University is rated as of the best universities in the country. But over one-fourth of the teaching posts in 32 departments are lying vacant, while the Hindi Department does not have a single teacher.On March 31, there were 94 vacancies in various departments of the university which has increased to 96 in the last four months. The large number of vacancies is reportedly due to the university authorities8217; decision to send some teachers on deputation and sabbatical study leave to different places, sources said.

They alleged that the authorities flouted the university statute several times by sending lecturers, readers and professors on deputation or on sabbatical leave despite being aware of the acute shortage of teaching staff.Section 285 3 of the university statute states that after the expiry of sabbatical study leave, the employee will return to the university and serve for at least three years, failing which, he will refund the leave salary and other expenses with six per centinterest.

A senior teaching staff is sent on deputation or sabbatical study leave only on the rarest of rare occasions8217;.

This could include their receiving the Commonwealth scholarship, Fulbright scholarship, Nehru fellowship, Humbolt fellowship, vice-chancellorship or any job in an institute of international or national repute, in the same or higher rank and scale of pay.

However, sources said, several teaching staff back from sabbatical study leave have failed to complete three years of service and are now on deputation to various Government organisations with the help of senior university officials. Besides, a number of teaching staff have gone on deputation or sabbatical study leave at a lower pay scale and rank.University Vice-Chancellor Professor Gokulanand Das claimed that 94 posts had been lying vacant before he took over from his predecessor Professor Gour Kishore Das. 8220;Only two vacant posts have been created during my tenure,8221; he maintained, adding that he was not in a position to explainhow so many posts had been lying vacant for months.

8220;Academic activities of the university have been badly affected due to the absence of such a high number of teaching staff and it is alarming,8221; said the Vice-Chancellor. The university authorities have already apprised the Chancellor and Higher Education Department and urged them to take immediate steps to fill up the vacancies.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Department has decided to constitute a committee to look into the vacancies and recommend proposals to the state Government in this regard.