Day before affiliation panel meeting, Ludhiana college allowed admissions

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12

A day before the meeting of the affiliation committee, the Panjab University authorities allowed the GMT College of Education, Jalandhar bypass chowk, Ludhiana, for participating in counselling for BEd admissions for the session 2018-19.

The affiliation committee meeting is slated for July 13.

The inspection committee, which visited the college, in its report dated May 1, had observed that provident fund was not deducted and contributed for any employee and no annual increment was given to teachers appointed from 2008.

The committee had also pointed out that non-teaching employees were to be provided salary as per the DC rate.

No student was present in the college when the inspection committee, comprising Prof Kirandeep Singh, Principal Dharam Singh and Dr Jatinder Grover, had visited.

The college was also required to purchase five journals and books worth Rs 30,000, appoint three assistant professors-pedagogy for English and political science and one for education.

The college was directed to appoint the requisite staff by June 30. On June 30, the same committee revisited the college. “We found that the required staff was not appointed. The provident fund was yet to be paid to 20 per cent of teachers. However, the college fulfilled the conditions of buying journals and paying non-teaching staff on DC rate. But the affiliation shouldn’t be granted till all the conditions are fulfilled to maintain the standard of education,” said Dr Grover, who has been part of the inspection committee.

The PU issued a letter on July 12 for grant of “strictly provisional admission for BEd” to the GMT College after a telephonic discussion by Dean Colleges Development Council (DCDC) Prof Parvinder Singh and Dr Satish Sharma, chairperson of the affiliation committee.

When contacted, Dr Satish Sharma said, “It was only a provisional permission subject to the fulfillment of conditions by the college and final decision by the affiliation committee meeting slated for July 13. Had we not given it permission, it wouldn’t be able to participate in the admission process even if it fulfills the conditions.”

“It is a routine practice. It is a provisional permission subject to the final decision. Had we not allowed the permission, it wouldn’t have been able to participate in counselling,” said DCDC Prof Parvinder Singh.

However, Senator Amit Joshi, a member of the affiliation committee, objected to it and said what was the purpose of the affiliation committee when a day before affiliation was granted. “It is illegal,” he added.