Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 29: To acco-mmodate the applications for affiliation of two Nursing Institutes, one owned by a senior Minister in the State Government and another by former Inspector General of Police, Jammu University went to the extent of violating its own statute and even forcing the competent body to reverse its earlier decision against the request.
More ironic is the fact that both the high profile applicants were also allowed to sit in the meeting of Campus Deans, where earlier decision of the competent body was reversed notwithstanding dissent note by one of the members.
This was for the first time in the history of Jammu University that statutes were violated for grant of affiliation to a new college and the applicants were allowed to sit in the competent body’s meeting for allegedly influencing the members.
As per amended section 12.1 of the JU statutes governing affiliation of colleges and other institutions, an application for grant of affiliation to a new college should reach the Director Colleges Development Council by May 1 of the year, in which it is proposed to hold admissions and start the class work. Earlier, the last date for moving application was October 1 of the year preceding to one in which admissions are to be started.
However, in this case of two Nursing Colleges; R B Para-Medical Institute, Rajb-agh Kathua and Stephens Institute of Para-Medical Science, R S Pura, owned by Minister of Forest Ch Lal Singh and former IGP Kamal Saini, respectively, the applications were moved only last month i .e. after the expiry of prescribed deadline.
According to the sources, the Director CDC, Jai Kumar Sharma, in his observation on the applications for affiliation, gave reference of the university statute in this regard and explained that under the prevailing norms, the request could be considered only next year.
Thereafter, sources said, the matter was referred to the JU Committee of Campus Deans, which met on July 18 and discussed the issue. However, after a through deliberation by all the members, it was unanimously resolved that the JU statutes do not permit for acceding the request and hence the applicants should be asked to approach the university afresh for affiliation from the next academic session.
Following this development, sources said that both Lal Singh and Kamal Saini personally approached the Jammu University Vice-Chancellor Prof R D Sharma and requested for a review of the decision by Committee of Campus Deans. While giving reference of other universities with flexible statutes in this regard, sources said that the duo also wished to personally plead their respective case before the members of Campus Deans Committee.
Interestingly, the University not only conceded the demand for another special meeting of the Campus Deans, this time under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor, for a review of the earlier decision but also allowed both the high-profile applicants to be there during the proceedings.
Since the presence of such high-profile applicants, particularly the sitting Minister, was understood to influence the committee members, a decision was taken to accept the request for application and constitute a panel for immediate inspection of both the institutes so that admissions could be started from this very year, sources informed.
Except Prof J P Joorel, Dean Mathematical Science, who gave a dissent note, all the members accorded their consent in presence of the Vice-Chancellor for violating the university statute, sources added.
It may be recalled that a similar application for the affiliation by one Shaheen College of Education, Ashar Banihal, was rejected by the university last year on the ground that conceding the same would amount to blatant violation of the statutes and the institute should approach afresh for the next academic session before October 1.
When contacted, JU Vice-Chancellor Prof R D Sharma admitted that the statute was violated but he maintained that the objective was constructive and there was no question of pressure of high profile since the permission has been granted for inspection of total four institutes, including these two, owned by Ch Lal Singh and Kamal Saini.
Further, he claimed that the Minister and ex-IGP had requested to plead their cases before the Deans for clearing some doubts and an opportunity in this regard was provided but the duo was not present in the meeting.
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