Even as Higher Education Director NR Patnaik is in the midst of a row over his date of birth, the hasty implementation of the new choice-based credit system (CBCS) in various colleges without proper groundwork and the sweeping of many corrupt practices under the carpet have put the State Higher Education Department in a poor light.
Virtually, all degree college authorities in the State run universities irrespective of their deficiencies have been forced to teach their students under the new CBCS in place of the traditional pattern. Though the Higher Education Department has held several rounds of meetings of principals, most of the institutions are yet to cope with the new semester system, thanks to lack of infrastructure, manpower, funds, and most pertinently, failure to come to terms with the new system.
The authorities in the Higher Education Department and the universities are in such a haste to implement the system that they have deliberately ignored the difficulties of several colleges in the State. In a sense, they have tried to run the system by showing red eyes, especially to those institutions which are crippled by several handicaps. The Government for that matter has not been careful to review the problems of various institutions although the first semester under the new course system has neared its end and the final examination is likely to be held in January.
The teachers and the students have not been given any orientations on the course pattern. The universities have simply uploaded the new syllabus in their respective sites for reference which many teachers and students have not yet understood clearly. Besides, under the new course, all subjects have been converted to honours subjects.
Earlier, for awarding honours in a subject, the Regional Directors were taking into account various parameters. One of the most important criteria was that the concerned teacher has to be an MPhil holder to be eligible to teach in honours class. But after the new pattern came into vogue, the minimum requirements for awarding honours are overlooked. As such, many colleges with ineligible teachers have got the honours subjects. It does not happen without much palm greasing and under-the-deal though.
The Higher Education Department does not want to lose Central grants worth crores of rupees just for not being able to ensure that all its colleges have changed over to the CBCS. The Government too wants to get relieved from a huge financial burden it is incurring now with the availability of the Central Grants which it has been losing over the years just for not being able to implement the CBCS. But at the receiving end are the ill-equipped colleges and lakhs of students reading there. The authorities have not made any plan so far to plug the loopholes like training and academic improvement of the existing faculty members, paying them suitable salaries and upgrading their infrastructure.
It has been found that a huge section of irregular teachers are working under Block Grant system at the degree level whose salaries are the same as those working in the Plus II level. Similarly, for honours class, infrastructure like full-fledged laboratory, library, e-class room etc need to be made available in the institutions. But these facilities are just a day dream for a major chunk of the degree colleges in the State. Even some Government and Government aided colleges which have been running for several decades do not have land pattas and the Government is yet to simplify the procedure to provide them land pattas.
While the degree education in the State is in a shambles, the Utkal University has come up with a decision to discontinue a few subjects as electives in the syllabus of late. The decision has been taken when the students who have already taken those subjects as electives will write their examination in January-February.