The heads of the science departments at Jadavpur University have written to the vice-chancellor saying “there is no scope to increase the intake of students for postgraduate courses without enhancing the infrastructural facilities” of the institute.

The teachers have pointed out “difficulties in running undergraduate courses with the increased numbers of intakes over the years”.

Although the December 1 letter does not say it explicitly, it contains an underlying message to not succumb to alleged pressure from the students’ union to admit all students who have passed the BSc exams from the university this year in the master’s courses, even if that means admitting more students than usual.

The teachers are worried how they will conduct undergraduate and postgraduate classes adhering to the physical distancing norms amid the Covid pandemic once in-person classes resume, unless additional classrooms and labs are made ready.

The letter, signed by the heads of the seven science departments at JU, says: “We request the administration to take the necessary steps to enhance the infrastructural facilities as we have been experiencing difficulties in running our undergraduate courses with the increased numbers of intakes over the years.”

It adds: “We do not have laboratories that can accommodate additional students for teaching in undergraduate courses….”

Last week, the acting dean of science at JU, Subir Mukhopadhyay, had resigned following what sources close to him said was “pressure” from the students’ union of the science faculty to accommodate all graduating students from the university in postgraduate courses.

Mukhopadhyay withdrew his resignation on Wednesday.

The department heads sent their letter to VC Suranjan Das five days after the head of the physics department, Sukhen Das, had written to Das that in the absence of additional space, “It will be almost impossible to continue theory and laboratory classes for PG students, especially in this pandemic situation’’, once in-person classes resume.

He had requested the VC to provide the department at least two classrooms and two laboratories for PG students on an urgent basis.

The letters written in quick succession amplify the extent of the crisis related to infrastructure on the campus amid the pandemic, a JU official said.

An associate professor of physics said the department had two classrooms and three labs for 45 PG students in each of the two years. “The classrooms get crowded and often four to five students work on an instrument. That cannot be allowed in this pandemic situation,” the teacher said.

The situation is equally bad in the chemistry and mathematics departments, which have 41 and 70 students at the masters’ level, respectively.

The number of seats has increased over the years in both general and reserved categories at the undergraduate as well as postgraduate level, said a JU official.

A section of teachers has long been alleging that the higher education department has increased the number of seats without enhancing the infrastructure.

“Teachers in the science departments had alleged at executive council meetings that they were finding it difficult to accommodate all students in the classrooms and laboratories. If the same numbers are maintained, they are fearing the students will be exposed to infection,’’ an official said.

If the students are forced to attend the theory and practical classes in crammed facilities, they will endanger their lives and that of the teachers amid the pandemic, said a teacher.

Repeated calls to vice-chancellor Das went unanswered.

A university official said the issue about improving the infrastructure would be taken up at the executive council meeting on December 6.