Under RUSA, aided colleges require additional teaching, non-teaching staff
CP Kaushal
Aided colleges in Himachal Pradesh are effectively contributing in imparting quality higher education to the youth in the state. At present, five 95% aided colleges are functioning in Himachal Pradesh. These colleges are: Maharaja Lakshman Sen Memorial (MLSM) College, Sundernagar, St Bede’s College, Shimla, SVSD College, Bhatoli and DAV colleges at Kangra and Kotkhai.
These colleges are catering to the need of higher education of more than 8,000 students in different faculties. Considering the geographical conditions in the hilly state, the number of students in five colleges is quite significant because at least 50 or more government colleges in the state have less than 1,000 students.
The performance of these colleges in the fields of academic, sports and cultural activities has been excellent for the past so many years. All colleges have vast infrastructures with well-equipped laboratories, well- stocked libraries and other facilities.
Three colleges, namely St Bede’s College, MLSM College and DAV College, Kangra, have been running post-graduate courses in physical sciences and life sciences. The performance of these colleges has been on a par since the inception of these courses. Many students have been securing places in the merit list of the HP University every year.
The state government provides 95% grant- in-aid (GIA) to these colleges to meet the expenditure on establishment head against the posts, duly sanctioned by the government for imparting higher education at graduate level in humanities, commerce and science streams. All other facilities are being provided by the colleges on their own by generating income from self-financing courses by charging fees and funds, fixed by the state government.
All colleges are working on no-profit basis. Not even a single penny is extracted by these colleges for any other purpose. The managements have established these colleges with a mission to impart quality higher education to the students.
Maharaja Lakshman Sen Memorial College, Sundernagar, was established in 1976 by the late Raja Lalit Sen of erstwhile Suket State by donating more than 70 bighas of prime land, palace buildings along with liberal cash. This college is one of the constituent colleges of the Vallabh Cluster University, Mandi (HP), which is being established by the state government with financial support from the HRD ministry. The foundation stone of one of the buildings of this university has been laid by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur at MLSM College, Sundernagar. St Bede’s College, Shimla, established in 1904, is a historical and educational landmark in north India. DAV colleges at Kangra and Kotkhai are being managed by the DAV College Managing Committee, Delhi, by creating the infrastructures from the resources of the central management. Similarly, SVSD College, Bhatoli, has been established by the management on its own.
These colleges are providing higher education to the students at optimal cost with little burden on the state exchequer, as the state government has to meet only 95% of the salary of the approved staff. This way, the expenditure of the government on these colleges is about 40% as compared to an average government college in the state, as all infrastructural and other facilities, including the appointment of additional staff, are being provided by the colleges at their own.
It’s a matter of great satisfaction that with its concerted efforts and support of the managements, the HP Aided College Teachers’ Association was able to convince the state government to take the decision to provide GIA against those teaching and non-teaching positions which have fallen vacant due to retirement or in-service death of the teachers and other employees. After getting the administrative approval from the government, for which the process has been initiated from the level of Directorate of Higher Education, the colleges may start the process of filling of all approved vacant teaching and non-teaching positions.
Recently, on the demand of the Teachers’ Association and efforts of MLA, Sundernagar, Rakesh Jamwal, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has announced to include the elements of terminal benefits to the employees in the GIA. This is a welcome step. This will further strengthen the functioning of these colleges. The student strength in these colleges has gone up considerably. With the introduction of choice-based credit system under RUSA, these colleges require additional teaching and non-teaching staff. The state government has not sanctioned additional posts for these colleges since 1998. Based upon the actual students-teachers ratio the government should sanction the additional teaching and non-teaching positions.
It is important to mention that all leading colleges in the states of Punjab and Haryana are functioning under the category of 95% GIA. The aided colleges in Himachal Pradesh are also known for their commitment to provide quality higher education. The state government should devise some mechanism to provide financial assistance to the aided colleges to improve infrastructural and internal quality system.
(The writer is the president, HP Aided College Teachers’ Association)
