While efforts are made to popularise Hindi all over the country, Sambalpur University is perhaps moving in the reverse route.The university having a post graduation (PG) study department in the subject for 16 students has no single permanent teacher.The result being the department runs with just two contractual teachers and one of them is also pretty old to take the workload due to age factor.The department was started by the then VC Prof Arun Pujari, six years back and five batches have passed out ever since. Initially the strength was 10 and looking at the growing demand, it increased to 16. From the very beginning, there was no permanent staff in the department and Prof Murarilal Sharma, a retired teacher from Hindi department in GM College, was appointed on temporary basis.
There was no appointment in the second year also and the same man ran the show. However, due to dissatisfaction of the students, the university authority appointed another teacher in contractual mode. The result is the department till date runs with only two contractual teachers.“Those who have passed from here are well placed now in different organizations, including that of prestigious Central University at Hyderabad. Their academic achievements are also remarkable,” said the in-charge HoD Prof Sharma. “In the year 2012, six students of this department got MPhil in Ravenshaw University at Cuttack where the total strength is eight. Our students have also qualified for M Phil in Wardha University. But staff crunch is coming in their academic achievement,” Prof Sharma admitted.
Although the required strength here is seven, but at least three permanent teachers are badly needed, he said further.There are vast employment opportunities in Hindi as translator, Hindi officer (Raj Bhasha adhikari), teachers in schools, colleges and universities, etc. Hence many allied courses like translation, M Phil, etc could be opened here, he informed.When contacted, registrar of the university Meghanad Nayak said, “I am quite new here. However, I will look into the matter.”