Satavahana varsity yet to find its feet

Apart from many other problems, many key positions remain vacant. SFI district secretary Bandari Shekhar said that the university was functioning only with academic consultants. Though the authorities have constructed hostel buildings, they are not up to the mark, he added.

Satavahana University buildings in Karimnagar. Photo: Thakur Ajaypal Singh

Compared to other newly-formed universities in Telangana State, Satavahana University is located centrally in Karimnagar in 400 acres land amid scenic hillocks, but is plagued with several problems.

Established in 2008, this university is growing steadily adding new infrastructure such as buildings on the campus, but its performance on the academic front is dismal. There are only 11 regular teaching faculties, while the remaining 50 have been taken on contract. These lecturers are called academic consultants. Ironically, a senior teaching faculty is holding additional charge as university Registrar despite as many as 190 colleges, including degree, PG, MBA, MCA and pharmacy, being affiliated to it.

Though the university got UGC recognition from year 2010-11 onwards, it failed to get the UGC Section 12 (b), which would have enabled it to secure development and research grant from the UGC. The university conducted recruitment test to fill 13 assistant professor posts in various departments. Results were withheld for ‘obvious’ reasons. Similarly, the university also conducted written examination for the recruitment of 11 assistant professor posts in the Pharmacy Department, but interviews were not conducted.

Key posts vacant Satavahana University Contract Lecturers’ Welfare Association president Manohar said that the students were at the receiving end due to staff crunch especially in the category of assistant professors and professors. The university would get the UGC 12 (b) recognition only if it has adequate teaching faculty, but the university authorities have not paid attention to the issue, he alleged.

SFI district secretary Bandari Shekhar said that the university was functioning only with academic consultants. Though the authorities have constructed hostel buildings, they are not up to the mark, he added.

He flayed the authorities for non-introduction of research-oriented and Ph.D. courses in the university. He alleged that the teaching faculty do not have any accountability. A majority of them come from Hyderabad, Warangal and Khammam districts and they do not stay in Karimnagar.