Shimla: A compliance audit report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India was tabled in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Monday, which pointed out "serious flaws" in the functioning and administration of the Himachal Pradesh University.

According to the report, 27 to 37 faculty positions remained vacant in the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) during 2020-23.

The report prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the period ending March 2023 also raised serious questions over 186 appointments in HPU, alleging that they were made without carrying out basic document verification.

According to the report, the university violated UGC norms by appointing an ineligible assistant professor and a guest faculty member.

The quality of teaching has suffered as a result of such appointments, depriving the students of proper guidance, the report said.

This deficiency had been highlighted in the past as well, yet the situation did not improve, it said.

The report also pointed out that the academic quality of the university was being compromised due to a shortage of resources, weak infrastructure, a decline in research activities, and administrative lapses.

It emphasised the need for immediate and concrete measures to rectify these deficiencies.

According to the report, only 51 per cent of classrooms in HPU were ICT-enabled, while the science laboratories faced equipment shortages.

Expensive scientific equipment worth approximately Rs 1.99 crore was lying defunct for years, it alleged.

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, developed at a cost of Rs 11.19 crore, also remained almost non-functional, the report said.

Serious deficiencies were also pointed out at the academic level, with many courses not updated for years and in most instances, the changes were implemented without seeking input from the students or faculty members.

The university was also found lagging in research, according to the report.

Over a period of three years, an average of only 0.1 research projects were initiated per faculty member a figure significantly below the established standards, it said.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.