HYDERABAD: After engineering colleges, it is the turn pharmacy colleges to cry foul over JNTU-H's Biometric Attendance System (BAS), particularly since a large number of faculty stand to lose their jobs.
Further, the affiliation of nearly 65 of the 85 pharma colleges is in peril after the varsity flagged several faculty from these pharmacy colleges for not having enough attendance on BAS.
College managements claim that 4-5 Pharma D teachers from nearly 30 colleges have to also visit hospitals and teach there as per the JNTU guidelines and they cannot come to the colleges every day just to register with BAS.
"The six-year course in these 30 colleges is nearing end by this academic year and as per the JNTU guidelines, they also have to teach in hospitals. It is not possible for them to come to the college and also the hospital," said Dr K Ramdas of Vikas College of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Pharmacy colleges under the banner of Telangana Pharmacy Colleges Association (TPCA) on Tuesday, submitted a representation to JNTUH urging the varsity to relax the norms pertaining to the faculty.
College managements have also alleged that despite having the requisite infrastructure and number of faculty as per JNTU norms, several colleges are not getting the affiliation to run MPharma courses. They want that all such colleges that fulfil the B Pharmacy criteria, should be allowed to run M pharmacy course as well.
"We have invested crores of money on building the infrastructure for the PG course and we will not be able to sustain only on UG course. Further, we will be forced to remove the excess PG staff," said Talla Mahesh from TP Group of Colleges.
The TPCA has also urged University to reduce the experience criteria for faculty to become HoDs or chairperson of Board of Studies in the MPharmacy courses. As per the latest regulations, only a PhD holder with five years of teaching experience is eligible for these posts. Colleges want PhD candidates with less experience too should be allowed to hold these positions.