Nagpur: Research students at Nagpur University's pharmaceutical sciences department are holding lectures of graduate and postgraduate students since the only fulltime professor continues to remain away doing exam work. It has been over a year that the teacher concerned, Prafulla Sabale, engaged students in a lecture, sources said.They say Sabale, a close aide of pro-vice chancellor Pramod Yeole, was assigned spot evaluation early in 2016 after which he stopped doing any teaching work. Besides Sabale, there are three other on-screen spot valuation chiefs but they are not enjoying same privileges. For others, teaching remains first duty while exam work is part time. The other three teachers are SR Thakre of Institute of Science, Hemant Khandare of NU's geology department and Aparna Panchbai of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law.When TOI visited their departments, it found that all the three are regularly holding classes and working part time in the exam section.Sabale's prolonged absence has forced the department head, Jasmine Avari, to write to the controller of examinations, expressing her inability to file Sabale's confidential report.In a letter dated April 17, Avari states that Sabale is working in the examination section since October 17, 2016. "He is not doing any administrative duty under me. The maximum time of the day he is in the examination section doing on-screen evaluation as per our record. We have also relieved him from the duties of the department since October 17, 2016. I, therefore, request you to fill the confidential report of Dr PM Sabale and forward it to the deputy registrar, Establishment Section," Avari's letter reads.Director of Board of Examinations and Evaluation Neeraj Khaty, the erstwhile controller of examinations, refused to comment on the issue saying that he had forwarded the letter along with his remarks to the vice-chancellor.When asked if exam work requires teachers to abandon their teaching responsibilities, Khaty claimed it's a 24-hour job as all keys are with the four on-screen evaluation chiefs. "The job involves monitoring everything from the arrival of answersheets to result preparation. Sabale is not the only one but there are three other chiefs."VC SP Kane didn't respond to TOI calls.Sabale claimed that he had been regularly holding lectures, completed the portions of UG and PG and engaged research scholars too. "I haven't been able to take a leave even on holidays. Before coming to the examination section, I go to the department. In the evenings too, I visit the department," he said.Sources told TOI that Sabale, who teaches medicinal chemistry, has only held two or three classes since his assignment in the examination section. "The rest of the time, students doing their MPharm thesis under him are engaging the classes for BPharm and MPharm courses. He is working full time in the exam section and managing a particular cell. He comes only to swipe in and out to mark the attendance," they said.

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