Urdu, Arbi-Farsi Univ urges UP govt for funds

The Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Urdu, Arbi-Farsi University, Lucknow has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to release funds allocated in the annual budget to launch its maiden academic session.

The varsity is planning to start its first academic session from November 2012. However, given the circumstances, it is unlikely that it could start anytime soon due to the paucity of funds and non-recruitment of teaching staff.

“We have requested chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to facilitate early release of our annual funds and he has directed his officials to do the needful,” varsity vice chancellor Anis Ansari told Business Standard.

Since inception, about Rs 175 crore had been incurred on the varsity, primarily on the construction of the building and other civil works by the UP Nirman Nigam.

In the 2012-13 annual budget, the varsity had been allocated Rs 25 crore, of which Rs 3.25 crore had been released, while Rs 21.75 crore is still due, which is hampering its functioning.

The previous Mayawati regime had allocated Rs 171 crore for the varsity. The varsity was named after noted Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti by the Samajwadi Party government when it came to power this year.

Meanwhile, the government had approved 74 posts for the varsity, including professors (10), associate professors (20) and assistant professors (44), of which almost half would be filled by the end of November.

“The remaining vacancies would be filled up during June-July 2013,” Ansari informed.

Earlier, he chaired the second academic council meeting of the varsity.

The objective of the varsity is to promote Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages and culture. Candidates with working knowledge of these languages would be given preference.

The selection of curriculum would be aimed at ensuring the students get ample employment opportunities after passing out. The job-oriented courses would include streams as bio-technology, nano-technology, IT, environment and life sciences.

The students would have to compulsorily choose any of the three languages along with their chosen subject. The varsity is also mulling creating a digital library of Indo-Islamic manuscripts.