Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina flags issues hampering higher education in state

Advertisement

Amritsar, April 30

The general house meet of the Non-Government Colleges’ Managements Federation of Punjab and Chandigarh (NGCMF) on Saturday discussed various burning issues confronting higher education in the state at its meeting. Terming the various decisions announced by the state government with regard to higher education recently as arbitrary and detrimental to the interests of colleges, the federation called upon the government to save higher education which is facing huge losses due to the flight of students to foreign countries.

President of the Federation Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said higher education was facing severe challenges and many colleges in Punjab are on the verge of closure. He also sought early release of the pending SC scholarships amount to the colleges, which is due since last year. He added that despite court orders, the government was not releasing the money for SC students on time and the students belonging to downtrodden section are facing hardships.

They also sought the intervention of CM Bhagwant Mann and Education Minister asking them to look into this grim situation which is detrimental to the status of higher education.

The apex body of the 142 aided colleges also reiterated their decision to not to fill vacant DPI posts of College teachers in Punjab under 75 per cent grants scheme in future as the scheme had been diluted arbitrarily without consulting stakeholders and demanded the implementation of full-fledged 95 per cent grant-in-aid scheme. The issues including bearing the costs of gratuity and leave encashment of aided teaching and non-teaching staff, pending DPI grants, implementing 95 per cent grant-in-aid schemes instead of 75pc for appointment of teachers, repealing the reservation policy, clear distinction in functioning of colleges and universities, immediate release of the pending Post Matric Scholarships amounts to the Colleges for SC Students, waiving of road tax for vehicles owned by colleges and better coordination of state universities were also discussed in details during the meeting.