MADURAI: The financially precarious grim position of national level reputed higher education institution in the country, the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) in Madurai, is showing some dangerous signs this academic year 2024-25.
Sources in MKU told ‘Lotus Times’ media on August 21st 2024 that the students admissions number is gradually dwindling in the university and it is very clear from the latest figures done so far for this academic year 2024-25.
The number of students who joined MKU till now is just 700 odd while the staff strength of teaching and non-teaching staff is also 700, sources said and added that the total salary and pension bill of the university is close to Rs.9 crores per month.
There are 400 teaching and non-teaching permanent staff for the university while there are 300 casual workers, taking the total staff number to 700).
The totally sanctioned student admission strength of MKU is 1,167 for all departments from science to arts, for all PG courses including entrance and no entrance courses in our university. While the admissions in biology, biological sciences etc are very good and even the physical education department, the student admission is very poor in many departments of MKU this year. The admission this year are down by about 35 per cent. In M.Com, it is good…. But, in courses like marine biology there are only 3 students till now out of total 20 seats, in M.Sc. electronics and instrumentation there are only 3 students admissions out of 12 seats, like that in languages there are only single digit admissions in many courses and in M.Sc. Environment Science also there are only 2 students who joined out of total 16 seats,” MKU sources told ‘Lotus Times’ in Madurai yesterday.
Last academic year also, the total students admission was just about 650 and this academic year the number is about 700. The reasons being cited by MKU officials and staff is the sudden resignation of Vice-Chancellor Prof.J.Kumar four months back and the delay in commencing admission process by MKU for the fresh academic year.
The decreasing number of student admissions in MKU sends a wrong signal because the university staff and pensioners are already staging protests and fasts for the last one year since the Tamil Nadu government and MKU are finding it difficult to disburse monthly salary and pension on time due to severe financial crisis.
MKU officials said that the student admissions are still going on right now and it will go on for next 15 days and they hope that the final number will be satisfactory.
