Staff shortage and poor infrastructure plague Bhadrak Autonomous College

Bhadrak Autonomous College is reportedly grappling with serious academic and administrative challenges, including an acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff and inadequate campus infrastructure, raising concerns over the state of higher education standards in the district.

As per reports, compared to the number of students enrolled, there is a significant shortage of lecturers, and several posts remain vacant. Guest faculty members are currently managing much of the academic workload. The academic atmosphere is described as unsatisfactory, with long-standing demands for strengthening the institutional foundation and the granting of university status yet to be fulfilled.

At present, from +2 to postgraduate level, courses are being offered across 51 departments. Nearly 8,000 students are pursuing studies, while only 85 lecturers are available for teaching. Of these, 41 are permanent and 39 are guest faculty members. As per student strength, the college should have 130 lecturers. Notably, there is not a single permanent lecturer for +2 courses, which are also being handled by guest faculty, sources said.

Student Concerns

Students have expressed concern over the existing situation on the campus.

Partha Sarathi Dey, a student, said, “Most of the teaching staff is working as guest faculty, and there is no permanent staff. Many do not come to college regularly, and the course is not completed. Many non-students also enter the college premises, and there is no security patrolling at night. Water accumulates in many places inside the campus as well.”

Another student, Ratikant Rout, levelled serious allegations, stating that there are no CCTV cameras or lights outside the ladies’ hostel at night. “The Principal said it is not the responsibility of the college, and the Municipality officials also said it is not their responsibility. We have several demands like gates, a boundary wall, repairs in hostels, books in the library, development of the college field, and water filters in every department,” he added.

Vacancies in Support Staff and Security Issues

There are also shortages in non-teaching staff. With the posts of head clerk and accountant lying vacant, lecturers are reportedly required to handle clerical responsibilities. Posts such as peon, watchman, sweeper, laboratory attendant and library attendant are also vacant. The absence of a boundary wall has reportedly allowed free entry for outsiders, particularly in the evenings, leading to rising concerns about anti-social activities on the campus.

Administration Responds

College Principal Durga Shankar Das said, “We require non-teaching staff to handle accounts, the examination section, office management, establishment, collections and laboratories. Recently, a few laboratory assistants were appointed, but ministerial staff and laboratory attendants are too few in number. We have no control over outsiders as there is no boundary wall, and where there are walls, there are gaps, and they are not high enough.”

The college chairman stated that several projects have been initiated for overall development and assured that solutions will be implemented in the coming days, although the shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff continues to be the major concern.