Utkal pays price for teacher vacancies

BHUBANESWAR: In a jolt to Utkal University, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has cut down grants to the institution because it is reeling under acute shortage of teachers.
The UGC has withdrawn centre for advanced studies (CAS) status to psychology and philosophy departments. It took the decision on the basis of recommendations of an expert committee, which reviewed functioning of the departments in July-August last.
The central funding agency for varsities offers special grants to CAS departments for research and development.
According to a UGC notice issued on January 15, it decided to discontinue the tag for psychology department (which got the status in 1980) of Utkal and 16 departments of various universities in the country. The philosophy department lost the CAS status (which it got in 2007) as it did not attend the review process for renewal. The UGC approved CAS renewal for anthropology department of Utkal, granting it Rs 1.69 crore for five years (April 2015 to March 2020). Economics is the only other department, which has CAS label in Utkal.
Against a sanctioned strength of 11 faculty positions, philosophy department has just two lecturers (no reader, no professor). The psychology department has only three teachers, including two readers, against its strength of 18.
Vice-chancellor Ashok Das said philosophy department did not apply for CAS because it doesn't have enough teachers to meet the eligibility norms.
Varsity sources said several other departments may lose UGC grants under various other schemes such as departments under research scheme (DRS) and departments under special assistance if the vacancies are not filled up.
"The way the number of teachers has depleted in the last 20 years due to non-recruitment, UGC may curtail funds," said president, Utkal University Teachers' Association, Santosh Tripathy.
Of sanctioned strength of 340 posts in Utkal, 200 are lying vacant. The varsity last month recruited seven teachers. Fourteen teachers will retire this year.
For the same reason, history departments of Sambalpur and Berhampur University did not apply for assistance under DRS while the regulatory body discontinued DRS grants to English department of Sambalpur University.