Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 16: Though the Government is claiming to have given a fillip to the education system in the State, the irony is that various Degree Colleges in Jammu region are without principals for months together while many colleges face dearth of teaching staff and they are run through stop gap arrangements.
According to sources Government Women Degree College Parade which is among the oldest colleges in of the city and also among the prestigious colleges of the State, is without Principal for last four months now after the then Principal was promoted and posted as Director Colleges.
Sources said over last four months no efforts were made to post a Principal in the College and the charge has been assigned to a Professor who also does not possess the drawing and disbursing powers with the result the functioning of the college has been affected to a great extent and the students too have been put to many problems.
The charge of running the college administratively was given to one of the HODs of PG Department without drawing and disbursing powers. However, after one month when the staff faced problems for want of salaries and crisis erupted as the incharge Principal had no drawing and and disbursing powers, the Government assigned the authority to the Principal B. Ed College Jammu for the same but it took no decision to post a regular Principal in the College.
It may be recalled that Parade Degree College is one of the oldest women degree colleges of the State which came into being on June 1, 1944 as Maharani Mahila College Education Society a registered body of prominent and respectable women of Jammu at the instance of Maharani Tara Devi. However after the democratic Hovernment was established in the State in 1947, it was taken over by the State Government on November 25, 1953 and was renamed as Government College of Women Parade. It continued to be only women college of Jammu up to 1971.
Moreover this is the only College of Jammu province that offers the largest number of courses ranging from arts to science and commerce to BCA with 61 subject combinations available to the students. Presently 5401 students are pursuing their degrees on various disciplines including PG in Home Science3 and Music. The College has faculty strength of 98 teachers. But failure of Government to appoint the Principal has been a cause of resentment among the students as well as citizens of Jammu who are aghast against the callousness of authorities towards this institution, sources said.
The Government Women College Parade is not the only educational institution which is headless but the Government Degree College Nowshera in Rajouri district and Government Degree College Majalta in Udhampur district are also functioning without principals.
Sources said that Government failed to post the Principal in GDC Nowshera after the transfer of the incumbent in September this year and since then it is functioning without a head.
The Degree College Majalta which is functioning in Middle School Baryalta since July this year is also without Principal. Presently Principal Government Degree College Udhampur has been given the additional charge as Principal of the College.
The college has only three permanent faculties while the rest faculties are run through stop gap arrangements, sources added.
Sources said that the land for the college building has not been identified yet though the Government has constituted a Committee for this purpose but no headway has been made in this regard too.
Sources said maximum degree colleges are run through adhocism as there are no permanent faculties in these colleges and the lecturers have been appointed on stop gap arrangements only.
The Government Degree College Kalakote also sans building and the college is functioning in a High School at present while the college building in Budhal also in Rajouri district is still under construction and the College is functioning in Higher Secondary School.
Same is the case with Degree College Surnkote which didn’t have the building and the college is functioning in a school.
Regarding the faculty, these all colleges are run on stop gap arrangements having one or two permanent lecturers only, sources said.
Sources said though Degree College in Bugga area of Mahore tehsil of Reasi district was sanctioned in 2007 but it is functioning in a private building of a politician. The building houses four other offices including a private school. Same is the case with Degree College Dharmadi in Reasi district which lacks the building and the college is functioning in ITI building.
The other degree colleges which are without buildings and have no permanent faculties are Degree College Bani in Kathua district, Degree College Gool and Degree College Banihal in Ramban district.
Even the lack of facilities in college forced the students of Degree College Ramban to take to streets and protest against the authorities of Education Department.
However, the Government saud that the vacant posts of Principals and teaching faculty will be filled up in all degree colleges soon. The Minster of State for Education, Tourism and Culture Priya Sethi said that promotion list of Professors as Principals has been released by Public Service Commission and soon the appointments will be made in all those colleges where the posts of principals are lying vacant.
She said the rationalization process is going on and the list of assistant professors for various faculties will be released soon as the Department is on the job.
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