Allahabad University suspends courses in photography

While the university is gearing up to introduce a new PG Diploma Programme in Gandhian Thoughts, the university has neglected the two diploma courses which were introduced 83 years back.  The two programmes include a one-year certificate course in photography and a two-year diploma in photography.

Sighting the shortage of teaching staff the university has decided to temporarily suspend the programmes conducted at the centre of Photography. The university claims that they have for the time being closed the above courses which have close to 300 students pursuing one of the course.

As per media reports, Allahabad University charged an additional fee ranging from Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 1200/- and Rs. 600/- from the students who were enrolled in any of the courses offered at the centre. The condition of the centre could be determined by the fact that the university never cared to appoint regular teaching faculty since 2012 after the last teacher in charge retired.

The two-year diploma programme in photography was started in the year 1936 and since then has seen several students enroll for the programme.

Head of the Department of Physics, Prof. A K Rai said, “We have decided to close the admission to the courses because of the fact that there is no regular teaching faculty for the students.” He also added, that the day the regular faculty will be added, the courses will resume.

Although the reason for closing down the courses as mentioned by the HOD does not hold ground owing to the fact that presently there are about 500 vacant teaching posts and the classes in almost every department are taken by guest faculty. In the centre of photography itself, there were two guest faculties teaching until recently.

A source revealed that this was one of the courses wherein students paid extra fees to the university and moreover were high in demand fetching employment to students as soon as they pass out, yet the courses are closed down. While no fresh admissions will be done for the courses the students who have enrolled are now attached to the department of Mass Communication and Journalism till the time they finish their course.

Prof. Rai states that the university is sensitive to towards the welfare of the students and hope that the university will soon appoint regular teachers as per the vacancy and the courses would resume at the centre.