THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Nov 25: Dr E Balagurusamy, Academic Advisor to Governor C P Radhakrishnan and OSD in Raj Bhavan Dr Sanjiv Rai, on Friday visited Manika Degree College in Latehar district. This degree college is in the tribal heartland.
College in pathetic state: Governor’s Academic Advisor
Speaking to this correspondent today, Balagurusamy said, “This college has an excellent building but the building does not make up for teaching. There are just 7 junior faculties. The condition of this college is very bad so far teaching is concerned.”
The academic advisor further said, “Nowhere in India I have seen such a college where a couple of thousands of students are enrolled and there is no one to teach them. This college has scanty support staff. The library is dysfunctional. Labs are shut.”
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“It’s a great pity to see this college. To talk of skill development here is meaningless when there is no basic teaching available here. I will report to the Chancellor about the pathetic condition of the college,” reiterated the academic advisor.
“Girl students are more here. I interacted with the students. A large number of them just don’t come to the college as they know there is no teaching here. I don’t know how the college can claim to build the future of the students here. I believe it’s being spoiled here,” said Balagurusamy.
Scarcity of teachers
Manika Degree College has everything like slithering snakes, monitor lizards, a water harvesting structure, enough furniture, too many classrooms, 2,000 enrolled students, 70 per cent of the enrolled students, girls etc except an adequate number of teachers.
There is no teacher in the departments of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry nevertheless there are students, although few in numbers, in each of these science subjects Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
Similarly, there is no teacher in as important a subject as Hindi here in this degree college. The economics department is also sans any teacher.
Professor-in-charge of the Manika Degree College Dr Bimal Kumar Singh said today, ” It’s true we don’t have any single teacher in 5 subjects like Hindi, Economics, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.”
He added, “We have also seven non-teaching staff. Three are of third grade and four are of fourth grade.”
Singh said, “The inspecting academic advisor Balagurusamy and the OSD Sanjiv Rai were literally shocked to find the dismal numerics of the teachers and support staff here.”
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NPU VC concerned about teacher shortage
Registrar of the Nilamber Pitamber University under which this college comes, Dr Rakesh Kumar, said, “The acting Vice Chancellor of the Nilamber Pitamber University Dr T K Shandilya is serious about this deficiency of teachers here and by the end of January 2024 steps are on to have need-based teachers here and in other colleges of this university where a shortage of teaching hands plague the colleges.”
Snakes, monitor lizards often invade campus
The snake has so far not bitten any faculty member or the students nevertheless the snakes continue to frighten everyone here informed the professor in charge.
Monitor Lizard is not an uncommon sight on this campus, reiterated the professor in charge. It also frequents this college irrespective of the season. Monitor Lizard is not venomous but its skin carries venom.
Dr Bimal Kumar Singh said, “Only this outgone rainy season there had been two episodes of the snakes and monitor lizard found slithering right in the classroom where on one occasion our Sociology teacher was taking class. The snake was identified to be of the most deadly variety Russell’s Viper.”
The academic advisor Balagurusamy asked for functionality in the college library more and more.
There is a water harvesting structure on the campus which needs to be renovated.
The approach road measuring 60 meters from NH 75 to the campus of the college is in a state of great disrepair.
