JAMMU: Drifting far away from their mandated job of teaching, a handful of teachers have become traders in some government degree colleges in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
In conflict of interest, these handful of college teachers in connivance with their masters allegedly are running business activities by registering firms on the name of their family members.
Disclosing names of academicians who are allegedly associated with business activities through shadow firms registered on the name of their relatives, our reliable sources in Higher Education Department said, “The government colleges are buying every item from computers to stationary and furniture worth crores through GeM and it is really unfortunate to see some college teachers who have turned themselves as traders in certain colleges”.
Further commenting on this undesired practice prevailing in some GDCs, one male professor of computer science posted in one of the Jammu city prominent colleges on condition not to disclose his name told JK Global News, “Pro active involvement in business related activities through shadow firms is neither the domain of a teacher nor it qualifies the dignity associated with the noble profession of teaching”.
The most interesting part in this entire deal is that these handful of teachers try their best to remain entrenched in their sphere of influence on flimsy grounds for minting few extra bucks as merchants and this is a kind of fatal virus which is multiplying from one college to other and affecting academic activities.This condemdable practice has dented the image of some Principals who are managing the purchases through GeM in GDCs, he added.
Even men in civies tasked with preparing dossiers about activities in government institutions while sharing names of firms who are actively engaged in supply of items to some GDCs said “It is strange to see that couple of these firms are proactively run from behind the curtain by some teachers posted in GDCs. The IP address of GeM portal logins history in case of some GDCs are very interesting and if investigated will create tremors in HED”, he further said.
Suggesting a remedy from this undesired practice, one GDC Principal preferring anonymity opined that purchase of several items worth crores is a cumbersome process in GDCs and acts as a source of distraction for academic activities which are core to the heart of any institution of learning.
The need of the hour is to isolate academicians from purchases so that they can concentrate on academic front for the welfare of society. This can only be achieved by setting up a special desk in the Directorate of Higher Education comprising officers and officials of non teaching wing as well as from finance department for the purpose of purchase from GeM for all GDCs in J&K UT, added an officer of HED on condition of anonymity.
Even in past, some teachers in contravention to their duties had become tution mongers during working hours. For their convenience, some among them had opened their teaching shops in close vicinity of GDCs where they ran their business by skipping their official duties. Facing repeated criticism from society and dossiers of men in civies, the government finally had banned the tution by government teachers, says Prof SK Bhalla.
It is high time, the HED should wake up and initiate some corrective measures forthwith for the effective implementation of NEP in the J&K UT, added Prof Bhalla.
(To be Continued)