SILCHAR, Jan 23 � The Assam University, Silchar, is facing a severe fund crunch, admitted Vice Chancellor Prof Somnath Dasgupta. Speaking at the 22nd foundation day, Prof Dasgupta said that the crisis is so severe that it may be tough for the university to release the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff under plan posts.
It may be mentioned here that the university was granted Rs 84 crore under the 12th Plan period of 2012-17. Around 100 teaching and non-teaching members are working in the varsity under plan posts.
However, the Vice Chancellor assured the university fraternity that he would meet the President, who is a visitor to the university, to discuss the issue. President Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to meet the vice chancellors of central universities of the country at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 4 and 5.
Dasgupta said that he would speak to the President and seek his intervention for a solution. He maintained that students would not be affected by the financial crunch and everything would run smoothly. The process to fill up vacant posts is also under way, he added.
On the other hand, Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, who was the chief guest at the foundation day function, said that the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has initiated several measures with respect to the Indian education system. Realising the need of promoting the participation of disadvantageous groups in the educational process, the MHRD, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, has rolled out programmes to enhance the sex ratio and status of the girl child.
�The Government has started a programme called �Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan,� which will ensure the establishment of functional toilets for girls in every school in the country. There are also measures meant for disadvantageous girl students from SC, ST and minority communities in Science, Mathematics and Technology streams,� Prof Ahmad said.
He also highlighted how the proper usage of the proposed national e-library would democratise the access to knowledge by ensuring the availability of quality content on digital format. The chief guest also stressed the need of more research and development activities for the improvement of the educational scenario.
The university also gave away gold medals and endowment merit awards to students who passed out in 2014. As many as 67 students received the awards from the chief guest and the Vice Chancellor on the occasion. Prizes were given to the winners of a contest on good governance. An exhibition of the Innovation Club and the inauguration of a photo gallery at the Rabindra Granthagar Central Library were also part of the programme.
