Panels, probe reports, slip in NIRF ranking rocks affect Bamu in 2021;

Lokmat News Network

Aurangabad, Dec 29:

Allegation of irregularities in recruitment of statutory officers, resignation of Board of Examination and Evaluation (BoEE) director, degrading rank in NIRF and an indefinite strike rocked in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) in the year 2021. There were positive developments like holding Ph D Entrance Test, research presentation and new courses.

The university filled full-time officers-registrar, BoEE director, deans of faculties of Science and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Science and Commerce in March 2020.

The university administration and Government received complaints about the appointment of the statutory officers-registrar Dr Jaishree Suryvanshi, BoEE director Dr Yogesh Patil and dean Dr Walmik Sarwade.

The administration appointed one-member panel Justice (retd) P R Bora in December 2020. Since there was a Covid situation in 2020, not much happened.

With the decline in Covid patients, several unions demanded a probe in the appointments. The probe committee gave clean a chit to the officers. The Management Council member rejected the report in January 2021. The administration set up another committee in 2021 led by former vice-chancellor Dr Sarjerao Nimse which still probing the matter. BoEE director Dr Yogesh Patil resigned in October 2021.

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Leaked probe report creates sensation

An enquiry committee was set up by the State Government in Rs 127 crore irregularities in purchasing, affiliation fee recovery. The then joint director of Higher Education Dr Dhamanskar in 2017 who led the panel submitted the report recently.

The report was leaked on social media, creating a sensation in the education circle. The university administration started seeking documents from the departments related to the complaints.

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Bamu slips to 76th place in NIRF

The university slipped to 76th place in National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) compared to the earlier 69th position because of hundreds of teaching and non-teaching vacant seats and lagging in research activities. Vice-chancellor Dr Pramod Yeole determined to improve the ranking in 2022.

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Irregularities in online result, online exam

In view of Covid situation, the university held offline and online examinations of the March-February session in July-August 2021. There were errors in hundreds of students results.

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Bamu closes 11 courses

The university administration shut 11 courses including M Sc-Applied Mathematics, M Tech (Computer Science and Engineering), DBM, B A (International Journalism), B Ed and M Ed-Integrated, Diploma in TV Production, B A Music, Bachelor of Printing Technology and Graphics and M Sc-NanoTechnology.

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Longest indefinite strike

The officers and employees staged an 11-day indefinite strike for their different demands including implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations to all the posts, five days a week, permission to fill vacant posts. The strike started on December 18 and ended on December 28.

This was the longest agitation even during recent times.

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Ph D presentation process completed

Conducting Ph D Entrance Test (PET) and presentation on a research proposal is one of the important tasks of a university as it decides position in research and innovation activities. It held PET and completed the presentation of research of 6,750 candidates in just two months despite Covid threat.

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4 new courses launched

Though Bamu shut 11 courses, it launched four new courses. The names of the courses are M Sc-Artificial Intelligence, M Sc Forensic Science, M Sc in Hotel Management and Catering and Diploma in Taxation.

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Students grievance system

Hundreds of students, teachers and the general public have to move from one window to another to solve their problems related to the issuance of documents and corrections. The Bamu administration launched ‘College Students Grievance System’ online so that student can submit their grievance easily. The first time, such an online system was started for students to track their application status.

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Academic audit of colleges

The University Grants Commission and the State Government asked the universities to carry out an academic audit of colleges to improve the quality and standard of education, infrastructure and facilities. There are 460 undergraduate and postgraduate colleges within Bamu’s jurisdiction. Bamu invited applications for the academic audit. Not many colleges were in it.

The administration convinced 330 colleges that applied for the audit. Several teams of subject experts were set up for the audit. One of the panels submitted its report.