Few teachers, fewer funds—state varsities struggle to stay afloat

The state-owned universities in Haryana seem to be passing through one of their most challenging phases. Most state-funded universities are facing a severe financial crunch and an acute shortage of teaching faculty, affecting academic and research activities across campuses. University administrations are struggling to generate funds even for recurring expenses.

To worsen matters, the government’s decision to convert grants-in-aid into loans has further burdened institutions, pushing cumulative university debt to nearly Rs 6,400

crore. The crisis deepened when two universities—Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya (BPSMV), Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat, and Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU), Sirsa—failed to pay salaries for months.

Earlier this week, the teaching faculty of CDLU wrote to CM Nayab Singh Saini, seeking urgent financial assistance; and employees at BPSMV staged a dharna, demanding salaries for four months. Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, is also facing similar crisis.

A senior teacher said the universities had started undergraduate courses on campuses in an attempt to raise funds by charging fee. But this was a huge mistake. While the universities were unable to focus on research, the colleges were getting empty. Nearly 50% seats of 1.5 lakh seats are vacant in colleges, he said.

Prof Sampat Singh, former minister, said the number of state universities had grown from five in 2004 to 22 now. “Most new universities were set up to gain cheap political popularity, ignoring academics. Faculty shortages and falling student numbers reflect this

neglect,” he said. The grants-in-aid were converted into loans from the third quarter of 2022-23, and the debt had already touched Rs 6,400 crore, with another Rs 2,200 crore expected this financial year, he said. “How will universities repay these loans?” he asked.

He said a “top-heavy” administrative structure in universities, where posts such as Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and director, come with lavish facilities like official residences and

vehicles, while up to 60% of teaching posts were vacant. “To fill the gaps, universities hire temporary teachers who are paid low salaries,” he said.

The universities were being advised to generate revenue through alumni support, research, patents, CSR funds, and commercial use of unused land, which were not viable, he argued.

Sources said at MDU, Rohtak, about 200 posts of teachers were vacant; and at CBLU, Bhiwani, and CRSU, Jind, over 70% regular posts were unfilled. Even in the prestigious Kurukshetra University, the departments of Hindi, history, political science, philosophy, and Punjabi had much less staff than required, as per the UGC norms.

The deteriorating situation impacts the students who aspire for jobs/self-employment after passing out. In the absence of training and quality education, students are falling prey

to expensive coaching centres, foreign education agents, said Singh, alleging that the appointment of politically oriented VCs was also unfortunate.

The president of the Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation, Dr Vikas Siwach, said they had raised the issue of converting grants into loan with the government multiple times, which maintained that the debt was a perpetual loan and would not be reclaimed. “But why call it loan then?” he questioned.