The recent communication No DC-HE/J/202401227 dated 23/8/2024 issued by Director Colleges Dr Sheikh Aijaz Bashir expressing his concern over the prevailing Indiscipline in one of the prestigious college of Jammu city has exposed the discipline deficit which is a matter of grave concern.
This is the first time that any officer has bothered to pay a surprise visit in contrast to the past conventional approach whereat the pre announced visits were restricted to Principals chambers only. This is a welcome move and hopefully such type of visits shall become a recurring phenomenon to tab the growing menace of Indiscipline in the college campuses which is eating into the vitals of Higher education in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory especially for the last decade.
Though the communication doesn’t name the institution but as per authoritative sources it is none other than erstwhile Prince of Wales College now christened as GGM Science College, Jammu. The said college is dubbed as a heritage college and earned name and fame in the past for producing stalwarts in all domains of public life. The college also earned distinction for excellence in academics under the dynamic leadership of some able academic administrators.
But of late, the college has seen much deterioration both in academic as also administration besides ruthless deterioration of campus and ambience on account of haphazard development that has irreparably damaged the pristine image of the college which also once remained a seat of Nodal Principal.
This intractable behaviour is not restricted to students only. It has percolated down to almost all segments of colleges operational in J&K UT. This casualty is mainly due to self imposed confinement of majority of Principals in their cosy furnished chambers surrounded by their yesmen.
This darbari culture has infused a new level of Indiscipline in another city prime college wherein a Assistant Professor of Computer Application apart from openly defying the HoD for reminding him to shun practice of skipping classes has come to blows. The irony is that the Principal instead of taking cognizance of this serious lapse preferred to be a mute spectator despite the fact that beleaguered HoD brought the matter to his notice through written communication.
In the same college, there is a grapevine that there has been a heated exchange of words between a young Assistant Professor and his boss. Later, the matter was resolved by tendering unconditional apology. Absconding from college premises after e-attendance only to appear again at closure time for attendance is another sort of undesired practice prevailing among some influential teachers.
This is a reflection of deep rooted rot which has now intruded into the city prime colleges. The volume of rot prevailing in some peripheral GDCs can well be gauged from one foul video involving a young female teacher and NCC girls students which was widely circulated among the college teaching fraternity and already in the knowledge of HED. Dress code among staff and students of GDCs is also an issue but that is for another day.
Indiscipline is a big issue which has taken a nose dive in the past few years in several GDCs. It is expected of authorities to intervene forthwith to issue specific instructions to arrest wannig academic disaster for the larger public good and academic excellence.