Date:19/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/19/stories/2007071952980300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Staff shortage, lack of adequate infrastructure plague Govt. college

S. Ramesh

ATTUR: The shortage of faculty members and inadequate infrastructure facilities in Arignar Anna Government Arts College are adversely affecting academic activities in the college.

The college has more than 1,800 students studying in eight undergraduate programmes and four postgraduate programmes. But it has just eight faculty members. The problem, says a college official, is worse in the case of programmes like B.A. Tamil and History and BBA, for which not a single teacher available with the college. More than 150 students have opted for these programmes. Computer Science, English and Chemistry departments have been rendered to one-man departments. The college, however, manages to conduct classes through guest lecturers, recruited through Parents-Teachers Association.

The college, established about 35 years ago, caters to students from various rural pockets in Attur, Vazhapadi and Gengavalli taluks. A few students from the border districts of Vilupuram and Perambalur are also studying in the college.

“We need at least 90 faculty members to conduct the activities effectively,” college officials point out.

Lack of adequate number of classrooms and other facilities is also affecting the students. The college has requested the government to provide 40 more classrooms. But it has sanctioned 10 classrooms recently.

Meanwhile, a few persons had encroached about 50 acres of land belonging to the college, causing serious concern to students and the parents. The district administration should initiate immediate steps to remove the encroachments on the college land and erect a fence around it, United Farmers Association president C. Vaiyapuri said.

Members of voluntary organisations and trade bodies, while expressing concern over the state of affairs, appealed to the government to create more student amenities in the college, which provide an opportunity to a large number of poor students to pursue higher education.