By Sagar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 8: Lashing out at their administration, students of the Utkal University of Culture (UUC) in a rare outburst have complained of how they’re getting very little infrastructural support from the college and have claimed to be spending out of their own pockets to complete their college projects.
Students of the painting department said they have to buy their own colours, canvases, trays, brushes and other paraphernalia to create their artworks. Similarly, photography students have to purchase their own cameras as the college doesn’t provide them with one. Applied art students also face the same problem, and have to arrange for equipment on their own to prepare design works.
Prakash Chandra Seth, a student at the painting department whose work was recently displayed at Bhanja Kala Mandap on the foundation day of UUC, told Orissa Post, “I had to spend over Rs 2,000 to make one painting. In 2009, a colour tube that cost us Rs 40 is not available today for even Rs 100. A canvas comes for more than Rs 500 and a frame for Rs 150. Whatever we make, the costs are borne by students only.
Admitting that infrastructure was inadequate for art students, vice-chancellor Debendranath Jena told Orissa Post the varsity is waiting for approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 12 (B) which will make it eligible for financial assistance from the Centre, thus enabling it to improve infrastructure.
Jena said the university is crippled by a severe manpower shortage including both teaching and non-teaching staff, which is further compounding the state of affairs. “Currently, we need at least 90 more staffers against our present strength which stands at only 12,” said Jena. “Recently, we got 50 posts created and sanctioned from the culture department,” Jena added.
To qualify for UGC aid, each discipline of the varsity must have at least five teaching staff including one professor, two readers and three lecturers in addition to non-teaching staff.
Jena, however, denied that there was a lack of infrastructural support. “Minimum support is provided to each student,” Jena maintained.
When asked how many cameras have been allotted to the photography department which has a strength of 65 students, Chakradhar Behera, a reader who heads the painting department, replied in the presence of the vice-chancellor that there was just one.
When asked how many canvases are given to students a year, Behera said, “The curriculum mandates 14 projects in a year per student, of which, we provide canvases for four. For the rest, students have to manage on their own.”
“It is a general practice across colleges in the country for students to meet certain expenditure on their own,” said Behera, who said he worked with the Benaras Hindu University earlier. “The college can provide more facilities only if the tuition fee is increased at par with private colleges,” Behera added.
Recently, UUC claims to have procured new equipment such as drawing tables, canvases, projector, computers and digital camera. The vice-chancellor however refused to comment when asked if the available equipment would be enough to cater to the needs of all the students. “Let us not get into that. We provide minimum support,” he said.
Meanwhile, students continue to shell out their own money for their college projects. “If 14 projects are part of our curriculum, why should they not provide canvases for all fourteen instead of only four?” questioned another painting student, requesting not to be named.