Ban on Magadh University Vocational Courses. Students provoked

This is a recent issue at Magadh University where students were provoked to stand against the university chancellor with protests in Patna.

According to the sources, the directive of chancellor's had directed to stop admissions for vocational courses in various colleges of Magadh University due to which the students were upset and held protest, dharnas and also burned an effigy of the Chancellor.

The courses also revealed that the chancellor's secretariat, counter letter BSU-32/2013-986/GS dated May 31, 2013, maintained that universities in the state have started several vocational courses either without the prior assent of the chancellor or in anticipation of his assent.

It has also come to the notice that enrolment of students has also taken place without taking permission from the state government. Further enrolment of students in such courses should not take place, as it would be against the provision of law.

Several students said there was no rationale behind stopping admission to vocational courses in the constituent colleges of MU. These colleges are imparting courses in MBA, MCA, BCA, BBM, Functional English, Biotechnology, IT, fashion designing and other job-oriented courses at a modest cost.

While students are completing these courses in about Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 here, the same courses will cost them lakhs of rupees outside Bihar.

According to A N College principal Haridwar Singh, the college has been running these vocational courses since 2004. They were introduced after getting a 'no-objection' certificate from the state government as well as approval from the chancellor's secretariat and All India Council For Technical Education (AICTE).

The college always renewed the tenure of each course of study at both the chancellor and state government level. There was neither violation of any rule nor statute of the Bihar universities, he said, adding that he wrote a letter to MU vice-chancellor on Thursday seeking his guidelines to start admission in vocational courses.

B D College principal B N Ojha said such decision affects career of students at both degree and postgraduate level. Discontinuation of vocational courses will jeopardize the career of hundreds of students. The chancellor's office and the university should be lenient while allowing these vocational courses in MU colleges in the larger interest of students, he said.

Similarly, principals of College of Commerce, J D Women's College, Arvind Mahila College and several others said they have accepted forms for admission in different vocational courses. These students have also appeared at college level tests, they pleaded.
Meanwhile, MU vice-chancellor R K Khandelwal has called a high-level meeting of all principals of MU colleges at Bodh Gaya on Monday to discuss the matter.