Pondicherry University has taken steps to fill 200 faculty vacancies. The university will soon commence the recruitment process and the staff working on contractual basis can apply once the administration calls for applications, Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh has said.
Mr. Singh told presspersons here on Friday that about 30% of the posts remained vacant in the university as recruitments had not been made in the last seven or eight years. A number of staff had been retiring and superannuating and the university administration had been managing with contract staff.
“We will soon be writing to the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to get the approval for the new positions and creation of new posts,” he said.
Higher intake
The university has decided to increase the intake of students by 20% in all departments to boost the strength of students to 10,000 as against 6,500 now. The administration has decided to increase the seats gradually every year.
Mr. Singh announced that the university would be starting new courses in arts, science, social sciences and South East Asian Studies in the new academic year. The syllabus for the new courses had been sent to experts to get their opinion. The suggestions by the experts would be incorporated and approved, he said.
The university administration was focusing on launching a Centre for Tamil Language Literature and Performing Arts. The proposed Centre for Tamil Languages will have Tamil classics translated into regional languages, particularly Hindi, so that people get to know the greatness of this ancient tradition.
Sankaradeva Chair
The university had given approval to establish Sri Aurobindo Chair, Dr. Karunanidhi Chair and Srimanta Sankaradeva Chair, a 15th century Vaishnavite saint.
Assam had offered ₹5 crore to set up the Srimanta Sankaradeva Chair.
Mr. Singh said the Department of Tamil would be submitting a detailed proposal for the Dr. Karunanidhi Chair, which would be sent to the MHRD soon. The modalities of setting up the Chair had been worked out and the Chair was expected to function from the next academic year.
Asked about the demand for reservation for local students in the university, Mr. Singh said that it was a Central University and he had no objection if it was permitted by the MHRD.
“I am not against reservation and only want that the students of Puducherry should be given the right kind of encouragement since they have not had too many opportunities in the past,” he said.
However, the MHRD had its own constraints and had to look 44 other central universities throughout the country. It was of the view that central universities should consider students from throughout the country.
“The university had received representations seeking reservation for local students and we have forwarded them to the MHRD for their consideration,” he said.
Football tournament
The university will host the South Zone Inter-University Football Tournament for men from December 3 to 11 on its campus.
The Vice-Chancellor said 98 teams from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry would participate in the tournament.
Organised by the Directorate of Sports and Department of Physical Education and Sports, the matches would be played in ‘knock out’ cum league basis. The players would be accommodated in the student’s hostel and the manager, coaches and officials would be put up at the university guest house.
Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi will inaugurate the tournament on December 3.
