SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 6: A crisis has appeared in the Federation of University Teachers Association of Jharkhand (FUTAJ), the frontal organization of universities/colleges teachers of the state, as no teachers’ body of any university in the state is ready to host an election of the state association.
As per the FUTAJ statute, state body polls for the new executive body would be held after every two years. But the election has not been conducted in six years so far. The election of FUTAJ is due since 2018.
The last election of FUTAJ was held in 2016. Prof Navin Kumar Singh of Sidhu Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka and Prof Mithilesh Kumar Singh of Ranchi University Ranchi were elected president and secretary of FUTAJ respectively.
Prof Navin Kumar Singh (president) replaced Prof Baban Choubey of Ranchi University while Mithilesh Singh replaced Prof KK Sharma of Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribagh. Prof Choubey and Prof KK Sharma had been in the posts for decades.
FUTAJ election was held in Dumka in 2018 where Prof Navin Kumar Singh defeated Prof Balbir Singh Sidhu of Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribagh while Prof Mithilesh Kumar Singh was elected general secretary unanimously.
However, Prof Mithilesh Kumar Singh resigned soon after being appointed principal in VBU Hazaribagh. Prof Rajkumar of Ranchi University was unanimously elected the new general secretary of FUTAJ in his place.
President Prof Navin Kumar Singh held the teachers’ body of all 7 universities responsible for the delay in the election of FUTAJ.
“Since I am going to retire next year (2023), I requested all universities teachers body, especially to Prof Himanshu Shekhar Choudhary (general secretary Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University Dhanbad) and Prof Rajkumar of Ranchi University to host the election of state body but did not get a response,” he said.
Prof Singh said he believes election brings new energy to the organization otherwise it (the organization) would become dead wood. So FUTAJ election must be held as soon as possible.
Prof Singh said if the election of FUTAJ is not held this year, it would spontaneously be defunct when he retires in 2023.
FUTAJ president said besides the state body, the election of teachers body in VBU, Kolhan University, Ranchi University and Sidhu Kanhu Murmu University Dumka is also due.
Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University Teachers Association (BBMKUTA) Dhanbad announced its election in November.
