MITHI, Jan 30: The shortage of teaching staff, dilapidated class rooms, laboratories and hostel buildings, no compound wall and lack of other facilities are badly affecting the studies of the students, besides hampering the smooth functioning of the only degree college of Tharparkar district.

Information gathered by this scribe revealed that merely eight lecturers/professors are working at present, against 28 sanctioned posts, at the degree college. Seven lecturers are working on deputation elsewhere in other departments or at Diplo College, which has made it impossible for the college administration and the remaining lecturers to carry on the academic activities to the satisfaction level and to cover the course of different subjects in time.

It would be relevant to mention here that Mithi Degree College is the only institution, which is catering to the educational requirements of this totally backward region, but worth regretting is the fact that not only it lacks a compound wall, but the laboratories, hostel, halls and the class rooms, which were badly damaged by the earthquake, have not been repaired yet. This college has enrolment of about 358 students, 239 of class XI, 108 of XII and 11 for B.Sc.

Only eight students are living in the hostel, as one wing of the college hostel is in shambles.

Another fact worth considering is the aspect that 50 per cent of the students are girls, whose privacy is badly disturbed, owing to the non-availability of the compound wall around the college building, which is situated at Diplo-Mithi road.