Faculty crunch, lack of facilities hit Samastipur College

SAMASTIPUR: The higher education scenario in Samastipur is in a pathetic state due to severe faculty crunch in almost all the 12 constituent colleges, including Samastipur College, in the district.
The Samastipur College itself has enrolled students in 11 postgraduate subjects, but having only one subject teacher in several courses to engage classes from Intermediate to PG level. Furthermore, even if some teachers volunteer to take extra classes, there are frequent disruptions on one pretext or another.
“If you pursue higher education here and aspire to achieve something in your life, you are a fool of the highest order,” said Abha Anupam, a student of MA (English) at Samastipur College, which is a constituent unit of L N Mithila University, Darbhanga. Several other PG students of Physics, Chemistry, History, Political Science, Economics and Hindi echoed Abha’s remarks. They said the students outside Bihar or at other prestigious institutions get all the facilities, but in Samastipur, they are deprived of even the lecture classes required to give them some understanding of the subject and syllabus.
Recently, classes could not be held in Samastipur College and several other colleges because these institutions were made centres for Intermediate examinations conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board. Now classes are suspended due to the ongoing matriculation examinations. Furthermore, classes are disturbed during elections.
The students said college libraries have hardly any relevant book as per the syllabus and the laboratories lack equipment. There is hardly any hostel for the students. Girl students from remote villages have no way out but to stay back home and come to the colleges only occasionally for the most urgent works like filling up their examination forms and writing examinations.
When contacted, Samastipur College Teachers’ Association secretary Dr Prabhat Kumar said there should be a conscious effort to tone up the ever-deteriorating health of higher education and any further lethargy in this regard will ensure the prevalence of anarchy on the campuses.