Bihar college professor returns 33-month salary worth Rs 23 lakh as no student took class

Bihar College teacher Lalan Kumar has been in limelight as he returned his total earnings to college. Lalan is an assistant professor of Nitisheswar College, in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. He recently returned nearly his total earnings which is Rs 23 lakh since joining the job in September 2019. The reason for doing this was that no student turned up for a single class in 33 months. He said that his 'conscience did not allow' him to pocket the salary without teaching anyone. Lalan who is 33 years old gave a cheque of Rs 23,82,228 to the registrar of BR Ambedkar Bihar University (BRABU) on Tuesday, July 5, 2022.

“My conscience does not allow me to take a salary without teaching,” faculty Kumar told the media on Wednesday. “Even during online classes (during the pandemic), there were only a handful of students present for Hindi classes. If I take a salary without teaching for five years, it would be academic death for me.”

The college’s principal, Manoj Kumar, questioned Kumar’s motive in returning his salary. He said, “It is not just absenteeism [of students] but a pressure tactic to get a transfer to postgraduate department.”

BRABU registrar appraised Bihar Faculty

“What Lalan Kumar did is quite unusual and merits our immediate attention. We are discussing the matter with the vice-chancellor and would soon ask Nitisheshwar College principal to explain absenteeism,” BRABU registrar Thakur told media.

Lalan Kumar completed his Masters in Hindi from Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University and PhD and MPhil from Delhi University. The faculty also applied for a transfer to the PG department in order to be “academically involved”. Lalan while talking to media said that he never saw any environment of education in the college. “I heard my inner voice and decided to return my salary for two years and nine months to the university,” he added.

The college principal was asked why there were no students even before the pandemic. The college principal Manoj Kumar did not spell out any specific reason. “Academic activity has been disturbed in the college due to frequent examinations,” he said. “A few months after Lalan Kumar joined, the world saw several waves of Covid-19. We had online classes during that period,” he added

About the college

Founded by freedom fighter Nitisheshwar Prasad Singh in 1970, Nitisheswar College has been affiliated to BRABU since 1976. It offers undergraduate courses in Arts and Science. Nitisheshwar College has nearly 3,000 students. In all, the institution has 31 regular and guest teachers.