Bihar Governor-cum-Chancellor Arif Mohammad Khan holds a review meeting with the Vice Chancellors of the universities of Bihar at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday in Patna.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Bihar Governor and Chancellor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) chaired a review meeting with the Vice-Chancellors of State universities at Raj Bhavan and issued a series of directions aimed at strengthening higher education in the State.
In the meeting, Mr. Khan directed the formation of a committee comprising all Vice-Chancellors, who would submit detailed suggestions regarding challenges faced by their respective institutions along with proposed solutions. This, he said, would help in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the issues and enable effective resolution.
Also Read | School dropout rates go from bad to worse in Bihar and Assam
Vice-Chancellors were also instructed to send a consolidated requisition regarding the shortage of teaching staff to facilitate the appointment of guest faculty as per institutional requirements.
A presentation by the Education Department’s Advisor highlighted the current status of Bihar’s higher education landscape. Discussions were also held on the implementation of the Samarth portal — a digital framework aimed at streamlining administrative and academic functions in higher education institutions. It was informed that trained IT staff would be deployed across universities to support the system.
The Governor emphasised strict adherence to the examination calendar and monitoring of attendance in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Accompanied by Education Minister Sunil Kumar and senior Education Department officials, Mr. Khan directed Vice-Chancellors to clear university hostels of students residing illegally or of any anti-social elements, with assistance from police and district administration wherever necessary.
“The character of children cannot be built only with bookish knowledge. Teachers are the biggest role models for children, so they have to set an example in front of students through their life, character and behaviour. Universities and colleges are temples of Saraswati and their sanctity should be maintained,” Mr. Khan said.
He added, “The post of Vice-Chancellor is very dignified and they have the responsibility of building the future.”
Mr. Khan also urged Vice-Chancellors to collectively work towards improving the educational environment in Bihar. Among the senior officials present were Additional Chief Secretary of the Education Department Dr. S. Siddharth, Principal Secretary to the Governor Robert L. Chongthu, and Education Secretary Ajay Yadav.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Khan, along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, laid the foundation stone for the construction of Rajendra Bhawan, the Governor’s Secretariat, and Raj Bhavan Guest House on the Raj Bhavan campus.
Published – June 18, 2025 08:47 pm IST
