Nearly 40 per cent shortage of faculty at Himachal Pradesh agriculture university: CAG

SHIMLA: Picking holes in the overall performance of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in Palampur, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said the university is having close to 40 per cent faculty shortage, which is hampering the quality of education and research.

Against the total sanctioned strength of 380 members of faculty in the state-run university, 141 posts have been lying vacant, the CAG said in a report tabled in the state assembly on April 5.

The university is plagued by high faculty shortage for the posts of Associate Professor and Assistant Professor. For Associate Professor and Assistant Professor, there is a shortfall of 20 and 248 per cent, respectively.

However, for the posts of Professor, there is 127 per cent surplus people posted.

There is a drop in student enrolment over the year in the university. The percentage shortfall in enrolment of students in undergraduate programmes during 2012-17 ranged between 14 and 25 and in postgraduate it ranged between 27 and 67. About 61 to 70 per cent seats in doctoral programmes remained vacant.

On campus placement, the auditor said out of 1,545 students passed out from the university from 2011 to 2015, only six per cent students (94) got placements. This indicated the university was unable to meet the aspirations of the degree holders for securing employment, the CAG said.

On financial irregularities, the CAG observed the university, established in 1978, had incurred an irregular expenditure of Rs 178.26 crore for pensionary benefits from 2012 to 2017 from state grants.

The state grants to the university had increased from Rs 66.17 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 111.13 crore in 2016-17 whereas receipt of grants from the ICAR had decreased from Rs 34.05 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 30.04 crore in 2016-17 mainly due to non-completion of sanctioned projects.

Out of total expenditure during 2012-17, 68 per cent was incurred on salaries, 16 per cent on contingencies and 16 per cent on the implementation of projects.

The expenditure on salaries had increased from 57 to 78 per cent of the total expenditure during the period of review.

The audit noticed that the university has not made any inventions or discoveries from 2012 to 2017.

In respect of eight inventions made during 2003-09, no patent was secured.

The CAG asked university authorities to strengthen the internal controls to avoid financial irregularities and expedite research activities to ensure timely completion and also a transfer of technology to the farmers to boost production.