Sunday, February 15, 2015

CAG raps OUAT over teacher vacancies

Times of India, Feb 15, 2015
BHUBANESWAR: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) from the inadequate teacher strength in its constituent colleges and certain irregularities.

In its report tabled in the assembly recently, CAG said the teacher student ratio in the College of Agriculture, Bhawanipatna, was 1:11 against the 1:8 norm prescribed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Veterinary Council of India (VCI).

The national auditor said there were 62 teachers in the College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Bhubaneswar, despite increase in the average number of students every year. "Though VCI communicated possible de-recognition of the college if the sanctioned strength was not increased, neither more were posts sanctioned nor vacant ones filled up," it pointed out.

Taking potshots at the university authorities, CAG said though ICAR, VCI and state government sanctioned 841 posts, OUAT authorities filled up only 576 posts. It noted a decreasing trend, ranging from 46% to 23%, between 2009 and 2014, in placement of students despite the varsity having a full-time placement officer.

Only a few students from courses like master of computer applications, M.Sc (bio-informatics), microbiology, agri business management got jobs, it said, adding, "Although placement fee of Rs 100 was collected annually from each student in every college, there was no placement of students from other courses during 2009-14."

According to CAG, the authorities have accommodated more students in the hostels than the number of seats. OUAT vice chancellor Manoranjan Kar did not respond to repeated calls for comments on CAG's observations.

No comments: