Srinagar, Aug 29: Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), Rajouri, has once again come to the spotlight over the non-availability of the senior faculty in the varsity, leaving the students at the receiving end.
As already reported by Greater Kashmir, BGSBU is grappling with a severe faculty crisis, with 60.4 percent of the sanctioned teaching posts, including all 22 posts of professors, lying vacant.
This shortfall of the teaching faculty has left junior faculty members overburdened, impacting the quality of education.
The number of vacant positions of teaching faculty was revealed through an RTI filed by Raman Kumar Sharma.
As per the RTI reply, 80 assistant professors (stage II and III and scale I), 17 lecturers, and one teaching assistant are currently running the show.
In absence of the senior teaching faculty, the juniors hold together the teaching system in the absence of the senior faculty, including all 22 professors.
As per the data, 48 of the 50 associate professor posts and 72 of the 82 assistant professor posts are vacant at BGSBU.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, on Friday said that BGSBU, the dream project of former chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s and on which former BGSBU VC Masud Choudary had toiled hard, lied in a shambles now.
“Once envisioned as a centre of learning, it has instead become a site of gross administrative failure and faculty exploitation. A place meant to empower generations has mutated into a symbol of neglect and abject exploitation,” Mehbooba posted on microblogging site ‘X’.
The post reads that with 80 percent of posts in the varsity vacant, no permanent faculty, and zero infrastructure, contractual staff were exploited, leaving students neglected.
“The vice chancellor has failed to make a single bold or meaningful decision. His presence has only deepened the festering administrative paralysis. BSBGU is in urgent need of rescue,” the post reads.
Hours after Mehbooba posted on X about the functioning of BGSBU, the varsity, without mentioning her, shared the achievements of the past year.
In a post on X, BGSBU authorities said that in the past year, the varsity had made “remarkable strides in academics, infrastructure and research, setting new benchmarks in higher education”.
“In line with NEP-2020, BGSBU introduced 27 new UG and PG programmes, established six new departments, and launched 4-year UG programmes with multiple entry-exit options for flexibility and global competitiveness,” the BGSBU post reads on X.
It read that the varsity had gone fully digital in admissions, examinations, and student services through the adoption of Samarth ERP, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and student-centric governance.
“Secured Rs 20 crore under RUSA for infrastructure strengthening and Rs 2 crore under CAPEX for smart classrooms – modernising teaching-learning spaces and preparing students for the future. Achieved a substantial increase in grant-in-aid from the government of JK (UT),” the post reads.
The post reads that the varsity cleared several long-pending cases of promotion, boosting morale, professional growth, and academic excellence across the university.
“Initiated the revival of stalled projects like the central library, guest house, new academic departments, and scholars’ hostel. Renovated student hostels with modern facilities. Developed a state-of-the-art football ground with astroturf,” the post reads.
The varsity authorities claimed that with an over 50 percent increase in Gross Enrollment Rate (GER), BGSBU was attracting students from diverse backgrounds.
