Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today stressed on the need to set up a University Service Commission to expedite recruitment of teachers.
Intervening during a debate on the Patna University (Amendment) Bill, 2017 in the state legislative Assembly, he said there was acute shortage of teachers in universities and colleges of Bihar and there was a need to set up a University Service Commission to expedite the process for recruiting teachers.
"I am convinced of the need for setting up the University Service Commission in the wake of huge shortage in number of teachers in universities and colleges in Bihar... I am sure the Commission will be able to recruit teachers fast," Kumar said.
With the opposition raising doubts about autonomy of the proposed University Service Commission, the Chief Minister said his government would rope in qualified scholars in the Commission and give them freedom to appoint the best available persons as teachers in universities and colleges of Bihar.
"We will also provide the required infrastructure and manpower to enable the Commission to discharge its duties," he said, stressing on the need to fill the vacancies of teachers in universities and colleges, which stood at 53 per cent.
"Our government wants to substantially increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education institutions in Bihar at 30 per cent from the present 13 per cent, which is abysmally low compared to the national average of 25 per cent," Kumar said.
The Chief Minister said his government has established a number of higher education institutions in law, management and technology in Bihar over the past decade and was committed to give full autonomy to the proposed University Service Commission to work in a transparent manner.
Kumar rued the bungling in Bihar School Examination Board results for matriculation and intermediate last year as well as the Bihar Staff Selection Commission this year, and said the state government acted promptly by setting up a Special Investigation Team to probe it.
The Chief Minister assured the House that the accused would not be spared and said the mechanism has been put in place to ensure that such incidents were not repeated.
The Assembly passed the Bihar State University (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Patna University (Amendment) Bill, 2017 to clear decks for setting up the University Service Commission.
The Assembly also passed the the Bihar Protection of Interest of Depositors (in financial establishments) (amendment) Act, 2017, which proposes to strengthen mechanism for protection of depositors' interests.
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