Mangalore, 03 July 2010: The Mangalore University has failed to fill its vacancies in the Department of Statistics for over 20 years now, despite producing more than 20 post-graduates every year.
With private sector companies luring pass outs with attractive salary package, no post graduates want to be called ‘less paid’ lecturers.
A post of Assistant Professor sanctioned to the Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Statistics (DPGSRS) twenty years ago remains vacant till date. Meanwhile, University’s efforts to appoint two guest lecturers too has been futile because no post graduates in general and pass outs from Mangalore University in specific are ready to take up the job.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Statistics Chairman and Co-ordinator Prof B Ismail said that the University could not fill the vacancy of an Assistant Professor, which is reserved for SC/ST category, due to non-availability of suitable candidates from the reserved category. “The University has decided to appoint two guest lecturers. However, post-graduates are not willing to take up the job since the pay offered by the University is only Rs 11,000 per month,” he pointed out and added that those who complete MSc in Statistics are being absorbed by multi-national and national companies, especially pharmaceutical industries, as statisticians offering more than Rs 30,000 salary and other packages through campus interviews.
While there are 27 seats in MSc Statistics, there are only four faculty members including the Chairman in the department. “It is not necessary that post-graduates should have passed NET exam to work as guest lecturers in the University. Still, students are not applying for the post,” Ismail lamented.
Awaiting govt nod
Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor Prof T C Shivashankara Murthy said that the University has requested the government to give its nod to appoint Assistant Professor for Statistics Department from the general category in the wake of non-availability of suitable candidates from SC/ST category. “Once the ban on fresh appointments is revoked, the University will start the process of appointing Assistant Professor from the general category,” he said adding that none of the other departments in the University face such a problem.
Talking about lack of applicants for the post of guest lecturers, Prof Murthy said, “we will take initiatives to appoint either retired professors or visiting professors to fill the guest lecuturers vacancy if fresh post graduates do not come forward.”