Bihar varsity panel to be modelled on state service commission

The Bihar government is closer than ever before to the creation of the proposed Bihar state university service commission to fill up large-scale vacancies of teachers and officials in state universities.

The commission will be modelled on the lines of the Bihar public service commission (BPSC), following a suggestion from chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Earlier, the department of education had moved a proposal for the creation of a separate commission for recruitment of varsity teachers. As per the initial proposal, it was to be a seven-member body, headed by a chairman.

“However, in view of chief minister’s instructions, a fresh proposal is being prepared with some changes in the eligibility criteria of chairman and members of the commission, which could be formed through an executive order,” said an official of the education department.

The commission will have the power to appoint teachers, principals as well as officials, besides taking care of promotion issues.

Both the houses of the Bihar legislature had, on March 30, passed the Bihar state universities (amendment) bill, 2017 for the creation of the body, which had been dissolved in 2007 after 25 years of its existence. Later, the power of recruitment of assistant professors was vested in the BPSC.

Though the BPSC started the process for recruitment of 3,364 assistant professors over a couple of years ago, it is yet to be completed, though it has now recommended names of teachers for many key subjects to different universities.

However, education minister, Ashok Choudhary felt that some 8,000 teachers, more then double the number for which recruitment process is underway, would have to be appointed to put Bihar varsity education on an even keel.

It was on March 19, 2013, that the state cabinet cleared the proposal for recruitment of teachers to fill vacant posts through BPSC – first time since Nitish Kumar took over in 2005. Before that, the last appointment was made in 2003 on the basis of an advertisement issued in 1997.

As against their sanctioned strength of 13, 564 teachers, 10 universities of Bihar have a total working strength of just 6,079 teachers, which comes to well below 50 %, as per figures released by the Bihar government in March this year.

Courtesy: HT