Given 2 weeks, panel fails to submit report even after 4 months
*No deliberations by committee on important aspects
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 26: The much-needed rationalization of higher education institutions in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has remained confined to the papers only for want of seriousness at the level of Administrative Department and committee of officers, which even failed to submit report several months beyond the stipulated time-frame.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the necessity to rationalize higher education institutions was deliberated upon in several meetings chaired by the Advisor concerned and Chief Secretary with the Administrative Secretary and other officers of the Higher Education Department a number of times.
Accordingly, the Government vide Order No.712-JK(GAD) dated August 12, 2021 constituted a committee to oversee the rationalization of higher education institutions in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The committee headed by Administrative Secretary of the Higher Education Department and comprising Director General (Budget) and Director General (Codes) of Finance Department and Director Finance and Director Planning of the Higher Education Department was directed to study the requirements of higher education institutions in the Union Territory, rationalization of existing institutions and recommend the criteria for opening of higher education institutions in future.
The committee was further directed to submit the report within a period of 15 days—by August 28, 2021 so that further necessary steps could be taken by the Government. However, the committee has not completed the assigned task even after the lapse of more than four months, sources informed while holding the non-seriousness at every level responsible for no headway on rationalization of higher education institutions.
“Only Director Planning and Director Finance of the Higher Education Department have put in certain efforts towards the Terms of References while as other members of the committee participated in one or two meetings but without any seriousness”, sources further informed, adding “the committee has drawn only one conclusion that eight higher education institutions don’t have more than 150 enrollment as such they should be given time-frame of three years to increase the same failing which these institutions should be closed”.
However, no deliberations have been held on further requirements of such institutions in the Union Territory and criteria which should be adopted while sanctioning the same in future, sources said, adding “the interesting aspect is that only three members have signed the draft report while as fourth member has yet not put his signature. Further, the draft report has yet not reached the Administrative Secretary, who is the chairman of the committee”.
“In such a situation how would the Government chalk out a strategy for rationalization of higher education institutions in the J&K Union Territory remains a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “it is really shocking that neither Government nor the Advisor concerned tried to ascertain the difficulties in not furnishing the report even more than four months after the framing of the committee”.
When contacted, some members of the committee admitted that draft report has yet not been placed before the Administrative Secretary of the department and said, “actually no clear line of action was suggested by the Government while framing the committee of officers and the same is evident from the Terms of References”.
“It is not clear as to which higher education institutions are required to be rationalized and what criteria should be adopted while doing this exercise as such we looked after the institutions only from enrollment point of view”, they further said.
However, sources said, “if there were ambiguities in the order regarding framing of committee and fixing of Terms of References the Higher Education Department should have approached the Government for the clarity instead of wasting four months in carrying out activity which is not going to yield any desirable results as far as rationalization of higher education institutions is concerned”.
“Further, the Government should ensure that the committees which are assigned the vital task submit reports within the stipulated time-frame otherwise there is no pointing in constituting panel of officers”, sources said.
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