Taking serious note of several vice-chancellors (V-Cs) of the state universities remaining out of headquarters during the lockdown period, Bihar governer-cum-chancellor Phagu Chauhan late Wednesday sought clarification from them for the unauthorised absence from university headquarters without taking leave of absence or permission from the chancellor, as per the provisions.
While some of the V-Cs, including those having additional charge of another university, rushed back to their respective headquarters soon after receiving the letters, others are yet to do so.
“In view of Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown, the V-Cs were expected to be in headquarters and exercise leadership role as the principal executive and academic officer of the university. It is during the hours of crises that the responsibility of leaders of organisations goes up manifold,” said the letter from Raj Bhawan additional secretary Ram Anugrah Narayan Prasad to the Pataliputra University V-C Gulab Chand Ram Jaiswal.
The letter stated the order did not “explicitly or implicitly state or imply that the officials could leave their headquarters and stay on unauthorized leave during lockdown.”
“In fact the V-Cs were expected to enforce lockdown in their universities and colleges, besides taking measures for facilitating online education,” the letter said, seeking clarification within a week.
{{/usCountry}}“In fact the V-Cs were expected to enforce lockdown in their universities and colleges, besides taking measures for facilitating online education,” the letter said, seeking clarification within a week.
{{/usCountry}}The chancellor has asked his principal secretary to seek report about online teaching on weekly basis. All the university officials have been asked to facilitate online education and put links of the topics on the university website for the students.
V-C Jaiswal could not be contacted despite repeated attempts on his mobile number. Pataliputra University Pro-VC Girish Kumar Choudhary, however, said that he was given charge for three days only from March 16-18 through a WhatsApp message. “I don’t know anything after that,” he added.
BRA Bihar University V-C Hanuman Prasad Pandey, who also holds the additional charge of JD University, Chapra, said that he had applied for permission, but left before its approval as he required medical help. “I am a heart patient and had gone to Faziabad (UP) on March 21 for check. I was hospitalised and in the meantime, there was lockdown and I was stuck there. I requested the DM for a pass to move from there,” he added.
Pandey said that he had reached JP Univeristy, Chapra and would join at BRABU in Muzaffarpur on Friday.
Nalanda Open University V-C HN Prasad, who was appointed on March 9, has been out of Patna since March 22. He sent a WhatsApp message from UP to the pro-VC that the latter should discharge routine functions in his absence. He did not pick up phone despite repeated attempts.
Prof RK Verma of Munger University, though within state, is in Gaya. “I was on leave on March 21 and had applied for the same on March 18 as I had to go Jamshedpur for work. As there was a meeting with additional chief secretary and principal secretary to Raj Bhawan on March 23 and then lockdown was announced, so it became difficult. Also, the death of a Munger man due to coronavirus created further problem,” he added.