PATNA: The issue of delayed academic sessions in state’s traditional universities was raised by student leaders also at the meeting of newly appointed office-bearers of Chhatra JD(U), held at the JD(U) state office in Patna on Monday.
A few weeks ago, the ruling JD(U) and ally BJP had engaged in war of words over ‘delayed academic sessions’ in the state universities after the saffron party’s state president Sanjay Jaiswal, while addressing a meeting at Raxaul, said, “The portfolio (of education) has been with them (JDU) and students still have to contend with delayed academic sessions, spending more than three years to complete their graduation.”
“Besides other matters, we also discussed the issue of delayed sessions at today’s meeting,” Chhatraz JD(U) state president Nitish Patel told TOI after the meeting.
“Raising the issue at the meeting, I inform the party leaders that students studying in different universities in Bihar are facing a bleak future as academic sessions are delayed by one to three years. Situation in the Magadh University and the Veer Kunwar Singh University are worse where students of three academic sessions are waiting for their examination,” Patel told this newspaper.
Speaking at the meeting, Patel said that the academic sessions in different universities are being delayed mainly because the vice-chancellors, who soon after their joining, start focusing on corrupt practices and how to make money from the universities, instead of regularizing the sessions.
Citing the example of the Magadh University’s former V-C Rajendra Prasad from who’s residences the special vigilance unit of Bihar police recovered Rs 95 lakh in cash, Patel said majority of V-Cs were focusing on minting money instead of improving academic atmosphere. He said, except Patna University, academic sessions are delayed in all traditional universities in Bihar.
Speaking on the issue, JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha told the Chhatra JD(U) leaders that if they have any problem related to the delayed academic sessions, they should inform the concerned officers and the education minister, so that the sessions could be regularized.
Kushwaha further asked the Chhatra JD(U) leaders to help poor students in getting the benefits of the state government’s different welfare scheme.
JD(U) national parliamentary board chairman and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha said the students should also take their social responsibilities along with study. “Study is the primary work of students. But they should also take some social responsibilities along with the study,” he said.
