VADODARA: Home to more than 30,000 old manuscripts and ranked as one of the best libraries in the country, the
Oriental Institute of MSU has earned a coveted place for itself attracting researchers from across the globe to Vadodara. However, 90 years after it was established, the institute conceived by the Maharaja
Sayajirao Gaekwad III , is battling for identity. For some strange reasons, the
Gujarat government recently sent a missive suggesting that MSU should merge Oriental Institute with some faculty.
MSU vice-chancellor professor Parimal Vyas confirmed receiving the government letter but said that there is no clarity as to with whom should the institute be merged. MSU has has never moved any proposal to merge the institute.
"We have asked the in-charge director of the institute to submit her remarks to the letter which will be placed before the syndicate members," he said.
The letter states that the university should make alternate arrangement like merging the institute and appointing a curator as it does not have enough staff against the sanctioned establishment. Ironically, the state government itself is responsible for the shortage of the staff at the institute where six key posts are vacant since 2004 and those of non-teaching staffers are being handled by temporary persons.
The missive has come as a rude shock for the institute which is functioning despite all this struggles.
Dr Sweta Prajapati, institute's in-charge director, told TOI: "The institute has maintained its unique identity all this years and we don't see any reason why it should be merged with some other institute or faculty," she said, adding that providing career advancement benefits to staffers cannot be the basis for merging the institute.
Oriental Institute of MSU