Maharashtra university VCs demand resumption of classroom teaching

MUMBAI: The Vice-Chancellors of all public universities in Maharashtra on Friday "unanimously" raised before Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari the demand to resume actual classroom teaching in colleges.

In a statement issued by Raj Bhavan, the VCs told the governor they are willing to start classroom sessions in colleges as early as from February 1 if permission is granted.

The statement said the demand was made in a meeting Koshyari held with VCs of 20 Maharashtra universities and state higher and technical education secretary Om Prakash Gupta via video conferencing on Friday.

The meeting was convened by the governor to discuss the universities' new academic calendar for 2020-21, status of statutory audit of universities, vacancies and status of recruitment of statutory posts in universities etc, said the statement. "Vice chancellors of public universities across the state today unanimously demanded permission to start classroom teaching in colleges and universities immediately," it said.

College reopening

The governor said it is "ironical" that while school for Class 5 and 8 were being reopened, universities and colleges had not started classroom teaching yet.

As per the statement, Koshyari said, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is coming under control, universities should explore the possibility of opening classes in shifts. He added that the University Grants Commission too had laid down the procedure for opening of colleges.

The statement said Koshyari instructed the higher and technical education department to fill vacant statutory posts in the universities such as registrar, dean of faculty and director etc.

The VCs furnished information about their academic calendar, status of audit and vacancies of statutory positions to the governor, and told him nearly 50 per cent teaching posts in colleges were lying vacant, it added.

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