Jagannath University (JnU) has taken several measures to smooth educational activities for the students but Department of Theatre continues to lag behind. Completing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in this department now takes nearly seven to nine years instead of the usual five years due to severe session congestions.
Allegations have surfaced against the department teachers, including postponing exam dates, threatening disliked students, favoring certain students with higher marks, and automatically suspending classes and exams for all departmental batches during various university programs. Additionally, there are accusations of departmental teachers traveling abroad, which create further obstacles for students.
From the past decade since establishment, the department has not employed any full-time professors. Among the eight permanent teachers, one is currently on leave and classes are being conducted by the remaining seven instructors. Some batches are holding final exams without completing mid-term assessments. Timely publication of results also being delayed and several exams and their results have faced delays exacerbating session congestions for students.
According to departmental sources, results for the 2013-14 academic year (first batch) were published in 2020, and postgraduate results in 2022, spanning nearly nine years to complete both degrees.
Subsequent batches faced similar delays, with the second batch (2014-15 academic year) taking 8 years and 4 months to graduate. Ongoing session congestions have persisted for successive batches, with delays in exam completions and result announcements causing frustration among students.
The chairman of the department, Katharin Purification, acknowledges the severity of session congestions and teacher shortages. She emphasizes the need to reduce course durations and addresses concerns regarding biased grading, pledging to enhance the departments efficiency.
The acting registrar of the university, Professor Ainul Islam, assures that meetings have been conducted to address the issue of session congestion in the Theatre department. Plans for further discussions and coordination between Jagannath University, the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the government are underway to resolve the ongoing challenges.
