Job at stake for Bihar university grad due college gaffe, erring principal fined Rs 50,000

A contractual teacher’s job at a government school in Bihar is at stake as the university she graduated from is now unable to issue her a bachelor’s degree in science because of her ‘wrong combination’ of subjects.

The candidate, Pooja Kumari, had taken up physics, chemistry and botany during her graduation, while the university allows mathematics instead of botany. She graduated in the 2011-14 academic session from the DNS College, an affiliated institution of the Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU).

The university at Bhagalpur, 229 km southeast of Patna, has put on hold her degree and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the principal of the said college, which allowed her to take the combination of subjects, not prescribed by the university.

The gaffe has also put a question mark on the functioning of the examination department of TMBU, which is now struggling to find a way to correct the action.

TMBU vice chancellor Nalini Kant Jha confirmed that he had imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the DNS College at Bhusia in Rajoun block of Banka district, 253 km southeast of Patna, for the mess.

Jha said Kumari was admitted to a three-year physics honours degree course in the college in 2011 with botany and chemistry as subsidiary papers. The combination of subjects was “technically not allowed” and she should have opted for mathematics, instead of botany, he said.

The bloomer was noticed when she applied for her degree, which she required for joining her assignment as a teacher, said Jha. “The failure of DNS College authorities to detect the error was a major lapse on their part,” he added.

The TMBU had withheld issuance of degree to the student, who later represented to the chancellor, the VC said. The matter was placed at meeting of the TMBU examination board, which recommended that the matter be referred to the chancellor for condoning the gaffe,” Jha added.

“Kumari claimed that she subsequently procured a bachelor of education (B.Ed) degree and was selected as a contractual teacher in a government school,” said Ashok Kumar Thakur, TMBU inspector of colleges and public relations officer. “She also informed me that no college official had objected to her selection of subjects.”

Courtesy: Hindustan Times