Teachers bunk colleges in Bihar

Kishanganj, May 4 (UNI) Believe it or not almost half the teachers bunk classes in a college in Bihar.

The shocking incident came to light when the Vice-Chancellor of the Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University(BNMU), Madhepura, made a surprise visit to the local Marwari College yesterday.

As many as eleven teachers,almost half the present strength of the teaching staff,were found bunking college.

They had absented willfully and without any leave application. VC Qamar Hasan, who had so far made surprise visits to 24 of the 27 colleges under the university, has put on hold salary payment of teachers playing truant.

''The situation was very chaotic and depressive in the beginning,'' he remarked while talking to newspersons here. However, he claimed that there had been a qualitative change and remarkable improvement in the academic ambience on the campuses across the colleges under the university.

''Teachers have now started coming to the colleges and at least 25 per cent of the students, who earlier bunked classes, are finally showing up,'' he said.

To ensure healthy presence of students, the VC had asked the principals not to promote students unless they attend the mandatory 75 per cent of the lectures. ''But, before the students give up their class bunking habits, the teachers will have to be sensitive and sincere towards them,'' the said.

Ever since the VC began tightening the noose, some teachers, perennially in the habit of skipping classes, have sought voluntary retirement or gone on long leave, Mr Hasan informed.

Talking of the morass into which university education had sunk, the VC quoted the example of a college in BNMU where in one single department there were as many as 16 teachers, but not a single student. He also disclosed that there were 165 teachers in a college which had just 174 desks and benches and barely 300 students on the roll at a time.

''Contrary to this, there are just three teachers in the Nehru College at Bahadurganj in Kishanganj district.Since the Governor and Chancellor of the Universities have put a moratorium on transfers of teachers,this cannot be helped,'' he said.

To overcome the shortfall in number of teachers,the VC has asked the Principals of MLT College, Saharsa and TP College, Madhepura to re-appoint retired teachers. Colleges at Kishanganj, Forbesganj, Supaul and Bahadurganj will follow suit.

Mr Hasan claimed that backlog of examinations in different faculties, barring law and post-graduate, had been cleared, and academic sessions updated. He also claimed to have got rid of the 'virus' of use of unfair means during examinations.

He laid stress on introduction of vocational courses like bio-technology and announced phase-wise computerisation of examination system, beginning with the bachelor part III from this May.

UNI