JAMMU : There is huge resentment prevailing among majority of Principals and teaching staff of Government Degree Colleges over a directive of higher education department for promoting a personality development workshop of one NGO for a handful of students by diverting college local funds.
As per a communication No DC-HE/K/2024/1696 dated 6/9/2024 (the copy of which is in possession of JK Global News) issued by the Director Colleges, Jammu and Kashmir HED, the lead colleges have been asked to organize the Art of Living Youth Programme through a NGO for 100 students from each district by drawing 10 to 15 students from every GDC of respective district.
Further, the communication also directed the Principals to debit Rs 1200 as registration fee per student from College Local Fund under “social activity” head.
It is flabbergasting to read the contents of the circular which aims at diversion of scarce local funds of GDCs to an NGO. As per the latest guidelines signed by the predecessor of incumbent top boss of HED, there is no such head as “Social Activity”. Motivational speeches of several well known personalities are already in the digital world and the higher ups in HED need to direct the college Principals to activate their electronic gadgets for such exercises off and on and which were purchased spending whooping amounts, stressed, Prof SK. Bhalla, adding ”My long stint in HED has witnessed that there always remains a tragedy with the judicious use of Local Funds in GDCs despite clear instructions”.
Terming this entire exercise as sheer wastage of funds which are exclusively meant for students welfare and constructive college activities, the majority of principals and staffers, on the condition of anonymity fearing victimization from the higher ups said, “If the HED is really interested for personality development of students then it should not be merely for a 10 or 15 students from the entire lot of students”. Moreover, the concerned NGO should organize the workshop on charity basis by visiting each GDC, they added.
From each district, an amount of Rs 1.20 lakh is to be debited from the College Local Fund for NGO which is alien to the spirit of an NGO, one GDC Principal confided, ”At a time when the GDCs are starved of teaching staff and the classes of first semester have not been operationalized, the HED is more concerned for promoting an NGO for a job which could easily be performed by our own teachers.”
Asked for his reaction on the charges, Dr. Ravi Shankar, Special Secretary, HED said, ”Cannot comment at the moment as he is not aware of any such programme”. Whereas, when contacted, the Director Colleges clarified that Directorate of Colleges has nothing to do as the administrative approval is from the top.