Nagpur University yet to get full-time teachers for its new course
Strange are the ways of the Nagpur University. It takes four years to start a degree course after the sanction, but without any full time teachers. Moreover, it does not hesitate to run the course with 25 visiting faculty and prefers to take pride in the claim that their curriculum is one of the best in the country.
University Grants Commission (UGC) sanctioned the 'Molecular biology and genetic engineering' Masters course to the university way back in August 2007. But the university launched it in the current academic session as a two year four-semester course and yet it does not have a single full time teacher for it. And sadly enough, there are not many takers for the course. Despite a few botany students moving into the new subject, there are only 13 admissions so far out of the sanctioned 30 seats.
Adding to it, the course will basically be run in the botany department, using its infrastructure as the university is yet to sanction the building plan and buy the instrumentation for conducting the course with required quality. However, director of the Board of College and University Department ( BCUD)) and botany department head professor Arvind Chaudhary says that it is one of the best courses the university is offering in life sciences with the best possible syllabus and the only credit based course.
The subject, however, needs minimum one professor, two readers and four lecturers. Dr Chaudhary tells that UGC has sanctioned one reader and three lecturers in the last five year plan. But the university is yet to appoint even these teachers, as the state government is ready to take over the responsibility. "We would be asking for more teachers in the next plan. Till then we are calling visiting faculty and experts from all renowned national institutes in city," he said.
The university had got Rs 80 lakh (Rs 50 lakh for equipment, Rs 5 lakh for library and Rs 25 lakh for building) for starting the course in 2009. But it is yet to finalise the construction plan and float the tender for equipment. "Botany has all the required equipment and space to hold the course till then. The visiting teachers are just a stop gap arrangement. Gradually, we will get teachers," tells Chaudhary.
The students, who have joined the course as well as those taking the botany course, however, are not very happy with the idea. They see no connect with the visiting faculty, as they have little or no time at all to interact with students after the lecture. "Where do we go to get answers to our queries? In other subjects at least few teachers are available in their departments, while we have none. And still, university is charging Rs 36,000 for the course," said a student.
If the university authorities are to be believed and the course has the best curriculum, then it would need some extremely efficient teachers. But in the present arrangement, the practical will be conducted by the research students (either who have done their doctorate in the botany department or are doing the doctorate). "They are experienced enough to conduct the practical and in need, we can always ask the visiting faculty for guidance," said T Srinivasu, a botany teacher and one of the three members of the coordination committee for the subject. The other two members are AG Jadhav from zoology and GB Shinde from biochemistry department.
Strange are the ways of the Nagpur University. It takes four years to start a degree course after the sanction, but without any full time teachers. Moreover, it does not hesitate to run the course with 25 visiting faculty and prefers to take pride in the claim that their curriculum is one of the best in the country.
University Grants Commission (UGC) sanctioned the 'Molecular biology and genetic engineering' Masters course to the university way back in August 2007. But the university launched it in the current academic session as a two year four-semester course and yet it does not have a single full time teacher for it. And sadly enough, there are not many takers for the course. Despite a few botany students moving into the new subject, there are only 13 admissions so far out of the sanctioned 30 seats.
Adding to it, the course will basically be run in the botany department, using its infrastructure as the university is yet to sanction the building plan and buy the instrumentation for conducting the course with required quality. However, director of the Board of College and University Department ( BCUD)) and botany department head professor Arvind Chaudhary says that it is one of the best courses the university is offering in life sciences with the best possible syllabus and the only credit based course.
The subject, however, needs minimum one professor, two readers and four lecturers. Dr Chaudhary tells that UGC has sanctioned one reader and three lecturers in the last five year plan. But the university is yet to appoint even these teachers, as the state government is ready to take over the responsibility. "We would be asking for more teachers in the next plan. Till then we are calling visiting faculty and experts from all renowned national institutes in city," he said.
The university had got Rs 80 lakh (Rs 50 lakh for equipment, Rs 5 lakh for library and Rs 25 lakh for building) for starting the course in 2009. But it is yet to finalise the construction plan and float the tender for equipment. "Botany has all the required equipment and space to hold the course till then. The visiting teachers are just a stop gap arrangement. Gradually, we will get teachers," tells Chaudhary.
The students, who have joined the course as well as those taking the botany course, however, are not very happy with the idea. They see no connect with the visiting faculty, as they have little or no time at all to interact with students after the lecture. "Where do we go to get answers to our queries? In other subjects at least few teachers are available in their departments, while we have none. And still, university is charging Rs 36,000 for the course," said a student.
If the university authorities are to be believed and the course has the best curriculum, then it would need some extremely efficient teachers. But in the present arrangement, the practical will be conducted by the research students (either who have done their doctorate in the botany department or are doing the doctorate). "They are experienced enough to conduct the practical and in need, we can always ask the visiting faculty for guidance," said T Srinivasu, a botany teacher and one of the three members of the coordination committee for the subject. The other two members are AG Jadhav from zoology and GB Shinde from biochemistry department.
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