Bhatkhande looks to collaborate with 12 arts and culture institutes, takes up survey

The university’s new vice-chancellor, Mandvi Singh, and registrar, Tuhin Dwivedi, inspected Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya has taken up a survey to identify opportunities for affiliations and offer joint curriculums with 12 institutes of arts and culture. The university, meanwhile, will also start recruiting guest faculties to 50 per cent of the vacant staff positions.

The university, meanwhile, will also start recruiting guest faculties to 50 per cent of the vacant staff positions.

The institutes for whom the survey has been taken up are part of a ‘constituent body’ under the state government and located in Lucknow, Mathura and Ayodhya. The university’s new vice-chancellor, Mandvi Singh, and registrar, Tuhin Dwivedi, inspected Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

“It has been decided (by the state government) that these institutes collaborate to expand the scope of curriculum for students,” said Singh. “We had floated a proposal stating that after achieving university status we are looking to expand our curriculum by introducing more culture-oriented courses. We will be inspecting the infrastructure at the 12 institutes to gauge the scope of initiating new courses in coordination with them.”

Bhatkhande has been functioning with 50% of its staff as recruitment to many positions had not been filled since 2005. “We’ve had guest faculties but not permanent staffers,” said Dwivedi. Out of the total 107 positions, 52 are vacant and 20 of them are teaching positions, he said. The last cycle of successful recruitment was conducted in 2005. “We have already outsourced some 14 staffers for the time being. The fresh recruitment process should be completed by April,” he added.

Besides the aforementioned, the institutes on the roster for inspection include Bhartendu Natya Akademi, Birju Maharaj Kathak Sansthan, Tribal and Folk Art Culture Institute, International Buddhist Research Institute, UP Jain Research Institute, Sant Kabir Akademi, All India Kaifi Azmi Akademi and Akhil Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad in Lucknow; Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan in Ayodhya; and Vrindavan Shodh Sansthan in Mathura.