Workload of Punjabi lecturers increases

BATHINDA: The number of students opting for Punjabi literature as an elective subject has increased manifold in the past few years but the sanctioned posts of Punjabi lecturer have not been increased at Government Rajindra College leading to an increase in their workload

Updated At : 06:12 AM Mar 20, 2018 IST

Students attend the class of Punjabi literature at Government Rajindra College on Monday. Pawan Sharma

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 19

The number of students opting for Punjabi literature as an elective subject has increased manifold in the past few years, but the sanctioned posts of Punjabi lecturer have not been increased at Government Rajindra College, leading to an increase in their workload.

There are total nine sanctioned posts of Punjabi lecturer in the college and three part-time lecturers and six guest faculties are working at present. Besides Punjabi literature, the lecturers have to teach the Punjabi (general), which is compulsory in all streams.

So far, it seems that the state government has not initiated any step to address the problem despite repeated applications of increasing the number of the sanctioned posts of Punjabi lecturer in the college. The workload on teachers is taking a toll on the studies at the college.

As per the norms, each class should have 60 to 80 students, but the number of students here is much more due to staff crunch. More than 100 students attend the Punjabi literature class while 200 are jam-packed in the Punjabi compulsory class.

On condition of anonymity, a college staff member said, “Though we have made three sections in BA for the facilitation of students who have opted for Punjabi literature as an elective subject in the 3-year degree course, due to large number of students, the section exceeds the limit prescribed in the norms.”

In the Punjabi compulsory subject, students of BSc medical and non-medical have been clubbed with BSc computer science students.

When contacted, Principal Mukesh Aggarwal said, “We have sent the proposal for recruiting more Punjabi lecturers in the college to the government on various occasions, but in vain. We are still trying to provide better education on the college campus.”

Number of students at college goes up

There are total nine sanctioned posts of Punjabi lecturer in the college and three part-time lecturers and six guest faculties are working at present. Besides Punjabi literature, the lecturers have to teach the Punjabi (general), which is compulsory in all streams.
As per the norms, each class should have 60 to 80 students, but the number of students here is much more due to staff crunch. More than 100 students attend the Punjabi literature class while 200 are jam-packed in the Punjabi compulsory class.