Students, teachers oppose govt move
PATIALA: Students, teachers and non-teaching staff of government colleges in Punjab on Friday slammed the state government over its decision to covert eight government colleges into autonomous institutions. Students fear the move will result in fee hike. It has been learnt that the department of higher education of Punjab recently identified the eight colleges before sending the proposal to the University Grants Commission (UGC). Granting autonomy is a scheme of the UGC to implement the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Dr Amrit Samra, president, Government College Teachers’ Association (GCTA), stated the role of the department of higher education was to implement decisions taken by the Punjab cabinet, and not to directly enforce the policies of the Central government.
Teachers accused the department of taking the decision without taking the Punjab cabinet, including chief minister Bhagwant Mann, in the loop. Students said the colleges hereafter wouldn’t be under the ambit of the government and “the first casualty of this decision will be inflated tuition fees, leaving a large section of poor students deprived of education”.
Hukam Chand, a member of the GCTA, said, “The decision has been taken without consulting the stakeholders — teachers, parents, non-teaching staff and student representatives. Education is a state subject as per the Constitution, therefore Punjab should formulate its own education policy.” Among those eight colleges, Government College for Girls and SCD Government College are in Ludhiana; Government Mohindra College and Government College for Girls are in Patiala; SR Government College for Women in Amritsar besides the government colleges of Mohali, Malerkotla and Hoshiarpur.
Amandeep Singh Kheowali, state secretary, Punjab Student Union (PSU), said, “Once these are converted into autonomous bodies, the government will stop issuing the grants. Eventually, it will be the students who will bear the brunt of this decision as autonomous colleges will increase tuition fees to run their colleges. Moreover, we have an apprehension that it is only a bureaucratic decision as the AAP government has yet to make its stand clear on the implementation of the NEP in Punjab.”
Ashwani Bhalla, deputy director, department of higher education, said, “It is clearly stated in the UGC rules that the state government can provide grants even after colleges are turned into autonomous bodies. The Punjab government will continue supporting these colleges financially.” He added that it would give these colleges academic autonomy of reviewing existing courses, restructure, redesign and prescribe their courses of study and syllabi.
Punjab higher education minister Harjot Bains could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.
STUDENTS FEAR FEE HIKE, OFFICIAL SAYS GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING COLLEGES FINANCIALLY