Groups of Associations in Government Colleges Punjab ante up against higher education department’s decision
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ August 2,2024
“On August 1, 2024, a meeting was held involving all government college teachers, non-teaching staff, and student unions in Punjab. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the recent decision by the Higher Education Department to issue a Tughlaq-like order to make 8 major government colleges in Punjab autonomous, effectively removing them from government responsibility. This decision was made without the approval of the Punjab government’s cabinet” said Amrit Samra,State President, Government College Teachers Association (GCTA), Punjab.
“During the meeting, there was a discussion about the legality of the Higher Education Department’s actions and its implications. The decision was made to oppose the unilateral move by the Higher Education Department without the consent of the Punjab government and its cabinet” added Samra.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Amandeep Singh Kheowali, State Secretary of the Punjab Student Union (PSU), stated that this move would lead to an increase in students’ fees, potentially leaving a large section of poor students deprived of education. He pointed out that even now, government colleges in Punjab are relying on PTA funds to pay teachers’ salaries, which has resulted in many students being unable to afford education due to excessive PTA contributions. Amandeep Singh criticized the implementation of the National Education Policy in Punjab as a wrong step, asserting that education falls under the State List as per the Constitution, and Punjab should formulate its own education policy according to its current circumstances.
On the other hand, Dr. Amrit Samra, President of the Government College Teachers’ Association (GCTA), stated that the Higher Education Department’s role is to implement decisions taken by the Punjab government’s cabinet, not to directly enforce policies from the central government. He mentioned that there was no information regarding the cabinet’s decisions or policies related to making colleges autonomous. Dr. Amrit Samra, along with Pro. Harminder Singh Dimple Nabha, President of the Government College Guest Faculty Assistant Professor Association Punjab, and Dr. Hukam Chand, President of the Malwa Zone, expressed their view that the Higher Education Department is illegally pushing for the autonomy of the 8 major government colleges in Punjab, and there has been no decision from the Punjab cabinet regarding this matter.
Eight government colleges for upgradation as autonomous colleges by the University Grants Commission (UGC) are
Government Mohindra College, Patiala
Government College for Girls, Patiala
Government College, Mohali
Government College, Hoshiarpur
Government College for Girls, Ludhiana
SCD Government College, Ludhiana
SR Government College for Women, Amritsar
Government College, Hoshiarpur
They noted that the department is asking colleges to fill forms for autonomy directly from the UGC website without consulting any stakeholders (teachers, parents, non-teaching staff, and student representatives) or issuing any policy or notice regarding the autonomy of the colleges.
Previously, there have been efforts to promote self-financing in government colleges under the guise of introducing new courses and opening new colleges. This trend is expected to continue. They also pointed out that even though the National Education Policy has been implemented in BJP-ruled states like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana for a long time, no government colleges in these states have been made autonomous. They questioned why the Punjab government, which came to power with promises to improve health and education facilities for the common people, is taking such steps without a clear policy.
Dr. Sumit Sami, State President of the Self-Financing Teachers Association of Punjab, criticized the Higher Education Department for promoting self-financing in government colleges under the guise of developing new courses and colleges while gradually withdrawing government support. He emphasized that education and health are fundamental responsibilities of the government, and withdrawing from these responsibilities is unjust and will be forcefully opposed.
Darshan Singh Lubana, State President of the Class IV Employees Union of Punjab, alleged that the Punjab government wants to phase out government colleges under the guise of granting autonomy. He questioned the success of autonomy in Punjab’s government universities, which are already autonomous, and noted that due to delays in funding from the Punjab government, employees of Punjabi University have gone months without salaries.
Many government-aided colleges in Punjab have also faced delays in salary payments and hiring for vacant positions. He warned that this might be the future for the newly autonomous government colleges as well.
The representatives of all the unions involved in the meeting reminded the Punjab government of its responsibility towards education. They demanded that the Punjab government not withdraw from higher education and requested a meeting or public debate with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Higher Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains to discuss this issue and consider public opinion. They further stated that if they do not receive a meeting time within a week, they will be compelled to struggle against the decree issued by the Higher Education Department regarding the government colleges in Punjab.
