Patna University Grapples with Severe Administrative Paralysis
All is not well at Patna University (PU), the seventh oldest university on the Indian subcontinent. A profound administrative crisis has brought virtually all academic and operational functions to a grinding halt. From student admissions and examinations to classroom teaching, research initiatives, and day-to-day university management, activities are at a standstill.
Root Cause: The Vacant Vice-Chancellor's Chair
The core of this institutional paralysis is the prolonged absence of a regular, full-time vice-chancellor. This leadership vacuum has created confusion and indecision at the highest levels of university administration. According to senior faculty members, the situation has been deteriorating since October 17 of last year.
On that date, the then full-time vice-chancellor, Ajay Kumar Singh, was placed on forced leave by Governor-cum-Chancellor Arif Mohammed Khan. This action was taken pending the completion of an inquiry into various charges leveled against Singh. The one-man probe committee is headed by retired Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan.
Interim Leadership and Its Limitations
Following Singh's forced leave, Namita Singh, an English teacher from A N College (affiliated with Patliputra University), assumed the role of officiating vice-chancellor. However, her authority is severely constrained. University insiders reveal that despite her good intentions, the acting VC cannot make significant decisions independently. She must seek permission from the chancellor's secretariat for most administrative actions, a process that causes considerable delays.
"Appointment and promotion of teachers and other routine activities are being delayed considerably," lamented concerned academics. They emphasized that this bureaucratic bottleneck is crippling the university's normal functioning.
The Pending Inquiry and Official Charges
The chancellor's secretariat issued a notification outlining the charges against the former VC. The committee was initially tasked with submitting its report within two months. The official notification stated that Singh failed to act in accordance with statutory provisions and directions from the chancellor's secretariat and the state education department regarding the renewal of guest faculties.
The specific allegations include:
- Disregarding repeated directions on guest faculty renewal
- Failing to process renewals per UGC provisions and academic interests
- Not submitting required reports within stipulated timeframes
- Demonstrating insubordination and lack of diligence
- Violating UGC and education department provisions
Report Submitted, But Decision Awaited
Informed sources indicate that the inquiry committee submitted its report well within the designated timeframe. However, a final decision remains elusive. Sources from Lok Bhavan suggest that only an interim report has been received, and the matter remains sub judice as fresh queries have been sought from the former VC.
This prolonged uncertainty has fostered an environment of "ad-hocism" within the university administration. Faculty and staff bemoan the suffering of university operations due to this temporary and unstable governance structure.
Appeal for Resolution
Academics and stakeholders are now urgently appealing to the chancellor to take a definitive decision in the vice-chancellor's case. They stress the immediate need to streamline university functioning and restore normalcy to this premier institution of higher learning in Bihar. The continued administrative standstill threatens the academic future of thousands of students and the research legacy of one of India's oldest universities.
