Rajan Gandhi
Jammu and Kashmir is a cash starved state which on its own cannot even provide salaries to employees leave alone development works but for our political class it means nothing especially in education sector as new colleges have been carved out without any planning, infrastructure or financial consent, with the result, some colleges don’t have infrastructure, some without staff, in some least students or courses offered have no takers and the list of follies are endless. Such is the official ignorance or zeal to please their political bosses that ‘Tuglaqi farmaans’ are issued and implemented without caring for implications on students or public money. On one hand there are colleges without even laboratories and on the other hand certain colleges have to start two shift classrooms to cater to the student strength. But all these things don’t deter either politicians or bureaucrats to carry on their whims and fancies.
One such saga of official folly is the establishment of Nursing College at Women College Gandhi Nagar, announced in May 2016 along with establishment of similar college at Government Women College, MA Road, Srinagar. The very fact that this prestigious college of Gandhi Nagar which caters to students of largest area of Jammu is part of Cluster University and as such has certain norms to be followed which include number of lecture rooms, laboratories, student – teacher ratio, number of lectures in a semester and other infrastructure has to be in place. Above all these this college is the most sought after college in whole Jammu Division as far as student admissions are concerned and as such generates good revenue in the shape of paid seats. But despite this popularity among students it has infrastructure constrains. This already overstretched college was thus allotted Nursing College which is still a distant dream as no additional infrastructure has been established for the same and the requisite recognition from State Nursing Council (SNC) has been just given in December only but recognition from Jammu University is still pending. Interesting is the fact that same requisite recognition had been granted to Srinagar College by Kashmir University as well as SNC and their admissions were done, classes started and they are going to have admission for their second session now. More astonishing is the fact that despite no recognition, either from JU or SNC, faculty in the shape of Principal and six tutors were appointed for this Jammu Nursing College and still more shocking is the fact that all these faculty members are drawing their salaries to the tune of three lakh plus every month for more than a year now without a single student.
Even more shocking is the fact that their salaries are being given from the ‘College Development Fund’ (CDF) collected from students of Women College Gandhi Nagar at the time of registration itself, even from the poor students. College authorities are supposed to deposit whole of this amount to administrative department of Higher Education immediately after admissions and without approval not a single penny can be spent. The Government Circular clearly defines how to spend each and every rupee, be it sports, infrastructure, medical, lab or any head; on students itself for activities under which head money has been collected for the welfare of students only. But with no students and further no financial provision of staff salaries, fifty lakh of this ‘CDF’ of Women College Gandhi Nagar has been transferred to Nursing College and the said amount is being spent on the salaries of recruited staff for more than a year now.
Can anyone explain this, why faculty has been recruited without financial provision, why authorization has been given to college authorities to spend College Development Fund on salaries of Nursing College without a single student for last one year and what kind of student welfare development it is? If there is no recognition from JU or SNC or no separate money has been allotted to Nursing College why the faculty has been recruited at all? With half the money out of fifty lakhs already spent on salaries but still no student or monetary provision from state government faith of this college hangs in balance. Interesting is the fact that before establishment of SNC in 2012 all nursing colleges were registered with Punjab Nursing Council and more interesting is the fact there are around 70 paramedical colleges in J & K out of which 40 colleges are in Jammu division but only two colleges were given recognition by INC(Indian Nursing council) in whole J & K with the result students passing out from these colleges can get a job in J & K but not elsewhere in India as their degrees are not recognized.
All these questions point out to only one thing; there is no planning, no accountability, no justification and the story seems to be no different from various new degree colleges which have neither infrastructure nor requisite faculty except that this Nursing College case is one step ahead , no sanction, full faculty but no students. Who is responsible for this whole mess and loot of students’ money? No one it seems is interested in starting this Nursing College leave alone financial implications. Irony is that despite state being under Governor’s Rule (now President’s rule) for more than five months still no sanction has been granted to the college but the faculty is enjoying perks at the expense of students’ money. Even the change of departmental heads with Advisors to Governor looking after all the issues and trying to sort out the pending tricky interdepartmental things but this utilization of Children Development Fund of Women College being utilized by Nursing College without a single student has somehow gone unnoticed as well as unattended.
Questions are many but there is no answer and it seems Prime Minister’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ is merely a slogan for authorities, be it Health and Medical Education Department or Higher Education authorities. No one is practically bothered about upliftment of women or girls in Jammu Division as Kashmir Division has a separate Maternity Hospital as well as this Nursing college at Women College M.A. Road has started its classes with proper permission. There is no excuse as like any other state government department concerned authorities of Women College, Higher Education department and Jammu University have also failed to safeguard the interests of girl students. Those sitting on higher chairs just cannot imagine the efforts of poor parents to save money for the admission of their children which is being utilized for salaries of faculty of another college but as a so called ‘Special State’ anything is possible and practically speaking this happens more frequently in Jammu Division only. One hopes better sense prevails and with the intervention of Governor who is also Chancellor of JU recognition is given in time so that admission process is set rolling for coming session and sufficient funds are allocated to run this Nursing College smoothly.
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