Senate Meet to Tackle Pune University’s Declining Ranking, Staff Shortage, and Lack of Transparency
Senate Meet to Tackle Pune University's Declining Ranking, Staff Shortage, and Lack of Transparency
The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) senate meeting is set to be a heated session, with members preparing to take the administration to task over various pressing issues. The agenda for the meeting highlights the urgent need for accountability and transparency within the university.
One of the primary concerns is the university’s declining National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking. Senate members are expected to demand answers from the administration on the steps being taken to reverse this trend. “This affects students and damages the university’s reputation. With the NAAC assessment scheduled for February 2025, it’s high time we reversed this trend and showed real improvement,” senate member Dadabhau Shinalkar said while communicating with media.
Another contentious issue is the chronic shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff across university departments and sub-centres in Nashik and Ahmednagar. Senate members are likely to push for concrete measures to address this shortage, which has left several areas understaffed and overburdened.
The administration’s lack of transparency and accountability is also expected to be a major point of discussion. Senate members have expressed frustration over the lack of follow-through on committees announced to address problems. “Every time we raise concerns, a committee is announced, but many remain on paper,” Vinayak Ambekar, a senate member, responded to the media.
Ambekar has called for a senate-only committee to track the progress of previously formed committees and ensure accountability. “This committee should collect data on all panels formed since the first senate meeting and submit a report by March,” he added.
Other issues on the agenda include the university’s new school system, which has drawn criticism for adding an unnecessary extra layer in the decision-making processes. Senate members will also discuss students’ placements and the placement cell’s role.
In a positive development, the university has made progress in promoting the Marathi language. As the nodal institution for developing higher education textbooks in Marathi, SPPU has established a Board of Translation Studies and is working on a Marathi International Centre. The project aims to produce 1,000 textbooks in Marathi over the next five years, with the first phase of 50 textbooks currently in progress.
