The civil societies, rights activists, intellectuals and social workers have pointed their fingers at the deterioration of quality education in the scam-ridden Berhampur University in last few years.
This premier university of south Odisha, which once upon a time received wide acclaim both at national and international level for education, research, excellent faculty and renowned VCs/administrators like RP Padhi, Justice BN Mishra, Justice Abhimanyu Mishra and MY Rao, is now battling against several hardships.
The administrative ability of an academician is hardly considered at the time of selection to the post of VC. It is the political affiliation, effective rapport with Raj Bhavan and lobby that count for selection to the highly coveted post, said an academician.
Even at times, the academic credibility of the aspirant to the post is also ignored.
Since last few years, Berhampur University hogged the headlines be it question paper leaking, irregularities in appointments, book purchase, post-Phailin works and the latest being the recommendation of an outsider for award of the most prestigious degree honoris causa.
In the past, it was alleged that it is the students who administer but not the VCs. The job of the students is to study and conduct research, but not to interfere in university tenders. This is evident from the fact that, some students of Berhampur University challenging the administrative lapses reportedly entered forcibly into the official chamber of the University’s Registrar in the afternoon on October 16 last and ransacked it over delay in execution of development works of the university for which university had issued tender in June 2015 in view of the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebration to be held in November, 2015.
Similarly, in September last massive irregularities were marked in the purchase of +3 TDC study worth over Rs 1 crore. A probe by Crime Branch into the case was demanded. Significantly, the District local Fund Audit in its report had recommended the Syndicate to hand over the investigation to the State Crime Branch.
In April last, the MASM, a city based social organization, alleged that huge bribes were collected by the university administration to regularize posts of 112 temporary employees and ignore the case of another 76 temporary employees who reportedly refused to pay monetary gratification in 2010-13. Besides, without having requisite qualification, 40 Readers were allegedly promoted to the post of Professors ignoring the prescribed norms of the UGC. Significantly, the 72 temporary/daily wage workers also sat on fast unto death for eight days in April last demanding high level enquiry to which the State Government, HE Department, the district administration and the investigative agencies paid deaf ear.
The Class-III Employees Association on December 2, 2014 resorted to agitation in support of their 13-point charter of demands including filling up of two key posts of the Registrar and Controller of Examinations in the university which remained unheeded by the university administration and the Raj Bhavan. Sources said that the university does not want to bring officers on deputation apparently apprehending that the irregularities may be exposed.
Hooliganism in the campus and inability of the administration to control it were surfaced when a group of unidentified anti social elements came in two motor bikes and reportedly attacked former president of the Student Union Bhavanikant on April 6 last, which created panic among the students, faculty, and residents of the campus.
Similarly, the university drew public anger when the university administration opened a confidential sealed letter that came from Raj Bhavan reportedly directing the university to hand over the records of book purchase scam and question paper leak scam to the Crime Branch for investigation.
The university’s serious negligence came to limelight in April last showing wrong, irresponsive and erratic evaluation of +3 second year answer scripts awarding zero to a student who in the revaluation got 65 marks. The victim was a student of Sabitri Mahavidyalaya of Bhanjanagar and the concerned examiner reportedly then took the plea of ill health and later described the award of wrong inadvertent error.
Notably, some miscreants taking the advantage of laxity of university administration, set on fire the official chamber of the former Chairman of PG Council and Professor of Political Science Prof BC Choudhury on April 6 last which had created a furor. In many cases, it is noticed that the university administration hardly dares even to file FIR apprehending threat to both life and position and to subsequent consequences.
In a significant move, some prominent citizens and well known lawyers like Bhubaneswar Panigrahi, Bhagaban Sahu and Basanta Panda besides social activist and MASM convenor Abani Gaya flayed the university’s move for recommending the name of an outsider Dona Ganguli, wife of for Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguli, who has no contribution for the State or the university, to confer prestigious degree honoris causa to her reportedly on the recommendation of a local BJD MlA.
It may be recalled here that during the regime of MC Bhandre as Chancellor, the former VC of Revenshaw University Prof Baishnav Charan Tripathy had scrapped the decision of the university to confer honorary PhD degree on one industrialist Shobhana Bhartia.