KOCHI: In a damning expose on the functioning of Kerala Agriculture University (KAU), an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG) has found that the university has been ‘nominating’ teaching staff instead of inviting applications through advertisements. It also flouts UGC rules regarding the awarding of PhD. The report says the research papers published by its faculty members in science journals were below the benchmark.
The C&AG audit also found grave lapses in the way question papers are printed. Further, KAU’s new College of Agriculture in Ambalavayal, Wayanad, was established “without the minimum requirements prescribed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)”, it said.
The C&AG report, which was submitted recently, also found that KAU has failed in popularising new varieties of crops it had developed due to the non-initiation of measures to get these varieties notified under the Seeds Act. “The university had not taken measures to protect new varieties of crops developed by it under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001. New technologies developed were transferred without applying for patents. The university did not have a system to determine (and protect) potential infringements on the geographical indication owned by it,” the C&AG said.
On appointments, the C&AG said: “The university did not appoint ‘Officers of the University in the prescribed manner’. Teaching staff were nominated to these posts with full additional charge. These arrangements contributed significantly to the university’s non-compliance with various University Grants Commission regulations governing it and applicable guidelines of the ICAR. Also, it contributed to its underperformance in terms of quantity and quality of research papers published in science journals.”
While the quality of the research papers was below the benchmark, the audit has also found that over a third of its faculty members had not authored or co-authored any research papers during the period between 2014 and 2018. KAU has also failed to apply for the renewal of accreditation within the timelines prescribed by the UGC (it applied for renewal just 19 days prior to the expiry of the accreditation). Though the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB) renewed the accreditation in September 2020, the ICAR did not release a development grant to the university for 2019-20 though the university had requested Rs 91.47 crore.
The audit found that access to the premises of the university press where question papers are printed was not regulated by maintaining a record of visitors to the press; no restriction was placed on the use of mobile phones or other recording devices within the press; and the blank answer sheets printed at the press were neither machine numbered nor barcoded. As a result, they could not be distinguished.
Commenting on the C&AG findings, D Narayana, chairman of the 5th Kerala Public Expenditure Review Committee, said KAU may face the prospect of being relegated to C grade and may not receive ICAR grants. “This is when the government is talking about science-based, knowledge-based agriculture. What a paradox!” he said.
Major findings
Number & quality of research papers by KAU faculty below par
Over 1/3rd of faculty members have not authored or co-authored any research papers during 2014-2018
New varieties of crops not notified under Seeds Act, 1966, affecting popularisation
New technologies developed transferred without applying for patent
No system to determine potential infringements to geographical indication owned by it
Premises of the university press where question papers are printed not regulated