The Gopabandhu Science College seems to be past its prime. Once the institution, which was established in the year 1963, established its identity among the five best colleges under the Utkal University, presenting toppers in different honours subjects in graduation level.
However, various reasons are behind the fast deterioration of the standard of the college, one prominent reason being staff crunch.
According to Principal Harekrushna Parida, there are 56 Government sanctioned teaching posts for different subjects available here out of which only 28 Lecturers are present for the current academic year.
The Governing Body (GB) of the college which is led by politicians is appointing different contractual faculty members from time to time but the appointments are made on the political grounds, where merit often takes a backseat.
Similarly, the laboratories of the college completely depend upon the management and contractual staff members. The library runs with just a single staffer on regular service, whereas all the class IV employees are contractual.
The only boys’ hostel has been closed from this academic year due to dilapidated condition of the building declaring it unsafe.
As the college has no boundaries, it is seen that vagabonds frequently loiter in front of the girls’ hostel creating nuisance.
Adding to the woes is the infrastructure shortage. This apart, the entire commerce block is locked by the local Sub-Collector since the days of preparations for the last General Elections where the college was used as the EVM and election material disbursal centre and counting centre.
About 2,000 students have enrolled in all the streams available here who are not finding adequate classrooms and other infrastructural facilities. The local intelligentsia has urged the Government and the GB of the college to take prompt action to sort out the various problems of the institution.