This Khagaria college lacks facilities even after 39 years

KHAGARIA: Students and locals rue the lack of basic infrastructure and facilites in KDS College at Gogri, even after 39 years of being a constituent unit. Now a constituent unit of newly created Munger University, the college was under Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU). It is the only centre of higher education at the sub-divisional headquarters in Khagaria district.
KDS college was established in 1961 and continued to function as an affiliated unit of TMBU till 1981, when it was elevated as a constituent unit of the Bhagalpur-based university.Later, it became a constituent unit of Munger University, which was carved out of TMBU in 2018.
However, students claim that acute shortage of teachers, lack of laboratories and equipment, common rooms for boys and girls, hostel, sports and other recreational facilities continue to affect their studies and other activities.
According to college sources, classes from Intermediate to undergraduate level are being managed by only seven teachers against the sanctioned strength of 20. Hindi, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, History, Political Science and Economics departments are being managed by only one teacher, while there is no teacher in Philosophy, Botany, Zoology and Urdu departments. There is no teaching facility for commerce as well.
“The college students have no option,” said Priyanka Kumari, a student.
Sunny, an ABVP office-bearer, also lamented that no steps have taken so far either by the college or university authorities to improve basic infrastructure as well as availability of faculty members.
The fate of a double-storey girls’ hostel to be constructed with a cost of Rs51 lakh and funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) is also hanging in the balance. The foundation stone of the hostel was laid by former TMBU vice-chancellor Prema Jha on August 14, 2009.
Former CPI MLA Satya Narain Singh has urged the university authorities for early completion of the hostel building in the interest of girl students coming from remote areas of the district.
Acting principal Diwakar Paswan said he was in touch with the university administration for early completion of the girls’ hostel and all-round development of the institution.
Meanwhile, the college is yet to be assessed by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The college may be deprived of UGC grants if it failed to be accredited by the NAAC, sources said.