Over 50 pc PG colleges to face closure

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

More than 50 per cent postgraduate colleges within the jurisdiction of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) will face closure from the new academic year for failure to appoint full-time staff.

There are 481 affiliated colleges to Bamu in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Beed and Dharashiv for the academic year 2022-23.

Of them, 100 colleges offer PG courses in Arts, Science, Commerce, Management, Education and Engineering. The majority of them lack approved staff currently.

Bamu made it compulsory to appoint a minimum of two full-time approved teachers for each PG course up to April 25, 2023.

No college will get affiliation for the academic year 2023-24 nor it will be able to admit the students.

According to sources from the university, 70 to 80 per cent of colleges have turned blind towards the university orders while some colleges have sought more time. The sources further said that 50 per cent colleges specially from rural areas will face closure.

Talking to this newspaper, Pro-vice chancellor Dr Shyam Shirsath said that the colleges which fail to appoint full-time PG-approved staff would get affiliation for the coming academic year. He said that has taken the matter of teaching in PG colleges seriously. “The unavailability of approved staff affects the quality of education, assessment of answer books and ultimately result. A college will face stern action if admit students without an affiliation letter,” he added.

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Teachers deprive salary as per norms

Sachin Jadhav, who left his teaching job and started a small business said that the teachers underpaid in the colleges which offer professional courses collect hefty fees as per the norms. “It is better not to talk about the salary of teachers who work in traditional colleges. The Government has not taken any action against the colleges' management so far,” he added.

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88 colleges facing probe

Bamu has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for lack of facilities and skilled approved students in UG and PG colleges during the last three years. Under the academic audit, 88 UG colleges are facing an enquiry. After UG, it started a campaign against PG colleges.

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Challenge before admin

A survey of staff and facilities in PG colleges was a few years ago and 99 per cent of them lacked full-time staff. No stern action was taken at that time. The sources said that the situation is different this time as 88 UG colleges faced the music and are likely to be shut down taking into consideration the way of the implementation of the norms.