In the area where other state universities have failed, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has showed the way. After a slew of complaints regarding lack of infrastructure, facilities and shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff in various colleges, the Nashik-based university has stopped ‘continuation of affiliation’ of as many as 70 affiliated institutions. A majority are from nursing faculty, followed by Ayurved, homeopathy and dental. It includes Nagpur College Of Homeopathy and a couple of nursing colleges from the city.
“We had been receiving several complaints of facilities not being provided and even shortage of staff in several colleges. To stem the rot, our academic council decided that if we found any college having more than 60% vacancies in terms of sanctioned strength of teaching/non-teaching, we would stop their continuation of affiliation,” vice-chancellor Dr Arun Jamkar told TOI from Nashik.
He added that when they conducted surprise inspections of some of the colleges against whom complaints had been received, they were found lacking in both aspects. “Around 100 colleges were found to have shortage of staff below 60% of the capacity. All of them were served with the notices with a warning to fill up the vacancies within two weeks.”
Registrar Dr Adinath Suryakar confirmed that after getting notices, about 40 institutions responded while MUHS stopped ‘continuation of affiliation’ of remaining 70 colleges who were grossly understaffed. “The move worked well and 67 colleges filled up the staff after which we’ve continued their affiliation. Now, only 13 colleges are remaining, including two to three from Nagpur,” he said.
MUHS was set up in 1994 as a specialized university for health science colleges and courses. At present, it has 311 affiliated colleges, according to PRO Swapnil Torney, which include medical, dental, nursing, homeopathy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and Ayurved among others.
Now the health university has further strengthened the rules of affiliation. In its notification of October 22, MUHS has made it clear for the colleges that they should have filled up at least 75% of sanctioned teaching faculty and fulfilled all the loopholes as pointed out by the university earlier. Secondly, the colleges were told to submit a CD displaying infrastructure and facilities to the MUHS after which inspection would be done to verify them.
Earlier on September 15, MUHS had ended continuation of affiliation of Nagpur College of Homeopathy after several complaints received by MUHS against the management. It included serious ones like corruption, misdeeds and even sexual exploitation.
Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/10748965.cms
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