JAC and Un-Aided Colleges Set to Protest against State Govt. Over Centralized Admissions

Jagmohan Singh

Amritsar, January 9 – With no favourable response coming up from state government, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non-Govt Aided Colleges Management Federation (NGACMF), Principals’ Associations, Punjab Chandigarh Colleges Teachers Union (PCCTU) and Un-aided Private Colleges’ body today called for all Colleges shut on January 18.

In a statement issued here today, the colleges in Punjab are fighting against the  government ‘arbitrarily and discriminatory decision to implement centralized admission portal and tinkering with service rules of teachers including lowering retirement age at 58 years..

In a joint meeting of the JAC and Unaided Colleges at Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women at Ludhiana, the issue was discussed threadbare and as the government of Bhagwant Singh Mann is not hearing the genuine demands for the Colleges, all colleges will remain closed on January 18. “We are in dire strait and are taking this extreme step as the government is unresponsive to our demands”, said Federation President Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina who chaired the meeting.

He said and Chief Minister and Minister of Higher Education has not even given the times for meeting to discuss issues confronting higher education in Punjab. Even now we appeal the government to address the issues confronting the colleges in Punjab.

He said the government’s decision will baldy impact the autonomy of the colleges and is highly discriminatory in nature as state Universities, their constituent colleges and private universities have been kept out of the purview of this so-called admission portal. The higher education institutions are facing acute financial troubles already in wake of the drop in admissions as the youth is flying western countries and thus there is no demand of such a portal.

“The indifferent attitude of Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government to the issues confronting the Colleges is forcing us to adopt the path of agitation and protest. On Jan 18 all colleges will remain shut and memorandums would be submitted to Deputy Commissioners in all district headquarters as neither the Higher Education Minister nor CM is giving us time meet them to raise our issues”, said Federation Secretary SM Sharma.

He said the implementation of centralized portal has been unanimously taken by the government and their concerns raised during the meeting with Secretary, Higher Education at Chandigarh had been ignored and Speaking orders passed and it is being implemented through the affiliating Universities in Punjab.

The decision, they said, is being taken without giving credence to the interests of stakeholders, and will benefit the private universities in the state. “It is a matter of survival for the Colleges. Many Colleges will close down, if the government remained non-cooperative”, said they adding that again they appeal the CM and Minister to give them time to discuss the issues or they will have to go for indefinite strike in the coming times.

The government’s move is impracticable as it will lead to the harassment of the students and their parents, seeking admissions in Colleges. Already such drives in the B.Ed and Law Colleges have miserably failed in the past. He said since there is no provision in the Grant in Aid Scheme which authorizes government to take over of admission process of aided Colleges by government departments, rendering the decision illegal, null and void.

The tinkering with the service rules concerning Principals and Teacher’s retirement was also opposed tooth and nail. The JAC and Unaided private Colleges Union expressed strong resentment over recent notification of government regarding proposed fixing of retirement age of aided Colleges’ teachers at 58 years. The restoration of the full fledged 95 per cent grants in aid scheme in the colleges was also raised during the meeting and all representative bodies resolved to fight the war with the government jointly in the coming times. It was also decided to meet all opposition leaders including Ashwani Sharma, Partap Singh Bajwa and Sukhbir Singh Badal to raise their demands.

The Colleges are already under financial strain due to decreasing number of admissions due to flight of youth abroad and instead of helping the Colleges, the government is bent upon ruining the higher educational institutions. Federation Finance Secretary vice Presidents Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Ramesh Kumar Kaura, Secretary Agnese Dhillon,  Private Unaided Colleges Union President Ved Parkash Bedi, Ravinder Joshi, Principal’s Association Head Dr.Gurdev Singh Randhawa, PCCTU President Vinay Sofat, general secretary, Dr.GS Sekhon,  Dr. Mehal Singh, GS Sarna, and others were present.