The North Bengal University (NBU), the oldest varsity in the region, has been running without administrative officials, much to the concern of faculty members, employees and students.

According to them, the situation will worsen in the next month as the tenure of several officials will end by then.

The acting vice-chancellor, C.M. Ravindran, hasn’t come to the office at the NBU headquarters in Shivmandir near here since February 20.

“He is not even on the campus and no one knows when he will come. The acting registrar, on the other hand, has been absent from the campus since February 27. Further, the terms of two deans (one would look after science departments and the other arts, commerce and law departments) ended on February 21 and there is no one to oversee the academic works,” said a source at the NBU.

While the absence of these people is affecting administrative and academic work, added to it is the demonstration launched by contractual and casual workers under
the banner of Sara Bangla Trinamul Shikshabandhu Samiti for over a fortnight. They are demanding increments and even closed down the watch and ward building of the varsity on March 6, which halted all activities at the institution.

Ranjit Roy, the joint convener of the NBU branch of the samiti, said the employees wanted the impasse to end.

“The VC and the acting registrar are absent for many days. How can the varsity run in such a manner,” he said.

Pranab Ghosh, the campus in charge, admitted that various problems had cropped up at the NBU. “We are trying to handle the situation,” he said.

A senior faculty member said administrative functioning related to research had stopped because of the VC’s absence.

“Although research scholars have submitted their papers, everything has stopped as the signature of the VC is not there. Many are still unable to register their PhD scholarship work,” he said.

The teachers apprehend that the situation will become complicated in the coming days.

“This is because the six-month term of the acting registrar and finance officer will end on March 19. Also, the acting VC took charge on October 5 and his term will end in the first week of April. If people are not put in their posts, the situation would be more complicated,” said a teacher of the varsity.