JAMMU: There is dire need of Raj Bhawan to intervene over ending unjustified deputation of one Jatinder Khajuria, an officer of University of Jammu as Registrar of Cluster University of Jammu and now branded allegedly as stumbling block in realizing the objectives for which Cluster University was established in Jammu.
For record sake, despite 8- year of its existence, this institution has failed to achieve the purpose for which it was established and prolonged delay in appointment of permanent Registrar besides other functionaries has caused extensive damage to varsity in terms of growth, academic excellence and examination system, said an officer of Higher Education Department.
As a matter of fact, the CLUJ was established in the year 2017 under centrally sponsored Rashtriya Uchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme to run series of skill oriented and advanced courses so as to realize growing aspirations of the society and the nation as visualized by PM Narendra Modi.
Registrar’s office is pivotal to development of a university. Sadly, the office of Registrar in CLUJ is manipulated by Jatinder Khajuria since its establishment in the year 2017 and become a private limited enterprise, alleged one GDC Principal confiding anonymity. Ironically, the parental varsity of incumbent Registrar has also forgotten its most dynamic scion and ensured auto approval for extension in response to the directions of Raj Bhawan, he further added.
For smooth functioning of CLUJ at its inception stage, the deputation of Jatinder Khajuria from Jammu University to CLUJ as Registrar was announced for a period of five year. However, while the CLUJ is facing widespread criticism for winding up all integrated and under graduate courses besides failure to introduce even a single skill oriented program since its inception, the incumbent Registrar has managed extension in deputation by claiming that the varsity is still in ‘infancy stage’ and also honoured by the government with medal of honesty.
In the prevailing scenario, it is astonishing to see that an officer who was awarded with medal of honesty has miserably failed to deliver extraordinarily as was expected. Moreover, he has been consigned to oblivion by the parent University for a prolong period of 8- year for reasons inexplicable. On the other hand, the Cluster University of Kashmir has recruited its top officers including crucial post of Registrar through a transparent recruitment process besides also excelling on academic front by introducing scores of path breaking skill oriented courses. Both CLUJ as well as CLUK are governed by HED, but strangely, it is only the CLUJ that is hiding its failures by crying foul against HED. High time for Raj Bhawan to put its foot down, says Prof SK Bhalla, a prominent anti corruption crusader.
For information of Raj Bhawan, the authorities of CLUJ neither introduced any new subjects nor commenced vocational course whereas it showcased its academic and administrative bankruptcy by abruptly winding up schools imparting integrated courses in Engineering and Computer, Languages, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Commerce and Management and Life Sciences, revealed insiders. Interestingly, the focus is more on construction activities than on academics.
Top of it, neither the Dean Academic Affairs, Naveen Anand, considered as right hand man of Registrar has introduced any new course nor the Dean Sciences, Sanjay Verma who clings to CLUJ since 2017 has introduced new course in Science. Even, no efforts were made to start skill oriented self-financed diploma and certificate courses which otherwise can be started with help of government departments as well as industrial establishments by venturing into agreement with them, reveals one officer of varsity.
On being contacted Jatinder Khajuria, Registrar CLUJ justified his continuance asserting that his appointment is purely as per norms for 5 years which is extendable by another 5 years terms. On the contrary, he blurted that CLUK, the authorities have not followed rules by appointing Registrar through advertisement followed by interview.