MUHS gives erring colleges the shock treatment

In the area where other state universities have failed, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has showed the way. After a slew of complaints regarding lack of infrastructure, facilities and shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff in various colleges, the Nashik-based university has stopped 'continuation of affiliation' of as many as 70 affiliated institutions. A majority are from nursing faculty, followed by Ayurved, homeopathy and dental. It includes Nagpur College Of Homeopathy and a couple of nursing colleges from the city.

"We had been receiving several complaints of facilities not being provided and even shortage of staff in several colleges. To stem the rot, our academic council decided that if we found any college having more than 60% vacancies in terms of sanctioned strength of teaching/non-teaching, we would stop their continuation of affiliation," vice-chancellor Dr Arun Jamkar told TOI from Nashik.

He added that when they conducted surprise inspections of some of the colleges against whom complaints had been received, they were found lacking in both aspects. "Around 100 colleges were found to have shortage of staff below 60% of the capacity. All of them were served with the notices with a warning to fill up the vacancies within two weeks."