Shiksha Samachar: Patna University's compact campus concept remains a dream

Patna University's compact campus concept remains a dream
================================================================================
Rizwan Khan on 28/03/2013 17:30:00


PATNA: Even as Patna University (PU), the seventh oldest university of the
Indian subcontinent, is planning for its centenary celebrations, its age-old
concept of having a compact campus remains a dream. The entire area, surrounding
the 96-year-old university, is dotted with unauthorized hutments and stalls set
up by grade IV employees and vendors, crumbling roads and heaps of garbage.
Truly speaking, PU does not have any campus as such. With its different
constituent colleges, university departments and institutes located in different
parts of the city, the university cannot dream of having a compact campus. While
Patna Women's College is located at Bailey Road, Patna Law College is at Ashok
Rajpath.
Even the postgraduate departments of different faculties are not located at one
place or in continuity. The department of history is located at Darbhanga House,
the sociology department functions at Vanijya Mahavidyalaya, the geography
department at Patna College, Patna Law College and Postgraduate law department
are located at Rani Ghat and the department of education runs at Langer Toli.
All the departments of science faculty are located on the premises of Patna
Science College.
Darbhanga House, which accommodates as many as 20 departments of the faculties
of humanities and social sciences, happens to be the single largest centre of
postgraduate teaching and research in the university. And, unfortunately, this
block is the most neglected one.
The accommodation at this complex has always been less than the actual
requirement for classrooms, libraries, reading rooms, staff rooms and students'
common rooms. The problem of space is so acute that at times, classes have to be
postponed due to non-availability of space, says a teacher of the department of
personnel management and industrial relations.
The ambitious plan of the university to have its campus in continuity from Patna
Law College in the east to Magadh Mahila College in the west has not
materialized as yet. As early as 1960, the then Patna Improvement Trust, in its
greater Patna Plan, had envisaged a compact academic campus of PU by bringing
all the private buildings, houses and land under it.
The Saidpur complex of PU, which houses residential quarters for teaching and
non-teaching staff, is in a mess. The entire low-lying complex gets waterlogged
in rainy season, causing great inconvenience to the inmates.
Of late, the authorities have thought of developing this complex as the south
campus of PU. Several new buildings are likely to be constructed to accommodate
the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE), Academic Staff College, and Vanijya
Mahavidyalaya. But, a concerted effort for developing a compact campus for PU is
yet to be initiated, feel the academics.
Sourse : Punjabnewsline.com