Punjab Govt identifies eight govt colleges for autonomy under UGC norms

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

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Chandigarh, July 29

The Punjab Government has identified eight government colleges for upgradation as autonomous colleges by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The list included Government College for Girls, Ludhiana; SCD Government College, Ludhiana; Government Mohindra College, Patiala; Government College for Girls, Patiala; SR Government College for Women, Amritsar; and government colleges at Mohali, Malerkotla and Hoshiarpur.

On the list

• Government College for Girls, Ludhiana
• SCD Government College, Ludhiana
• Government Mohindra College, Patiala
• Government College for Girls, Patiala
• SR Government College for Women, Amritsar
• Government College, Mohali
• Government College, Malerkotla
• Government College, Hoshiarpur

The benefit

• Autonomous colleges will be independent to review existing courses and redesign new ones without any permission from the affiliating university
• These colleges will also have a freedom to decide fees structure

A counter-view

By putting in the clause that these colleges will decide their fee structure, the government is finding a way to make colleges generate their own resources so that it can pull out from its responsibility of providing financial support. Prof Shyam Sundar Sharma, Teacher activist

These colleges will have to send their proposals to the office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education, by Wednesday morning. These proposals will then be forwarded to the UGC for final consideration under the “Conferment of Autonomous Status upon Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards” Regulations, 2023.

Autonomy will mean that these colleges will be independent to review existing courses and redesign new ones without any permission from the affiliating university. These colleges will also have a freedom to decide fee structure. Administrative Secretary KK Yadav said, “These colleges will continue to get the existing financial support from the state government.” Teachers, however, are apprehensive that the government colleges with a skeletal staff will not be able to meet the UGC requirements as regards teachers’ strength, especially for new courses.

Teacher activist Prof Shyam Sundar Sharma said, “At present, these colleges have less than half of the required regular staff strength. By putting in the clause that colleges will decide the fee structure, the government is finding a way to make colleges generate their own resources so that it can pull out from its responsibility of providing financial support. There will be no recruitment of teachers on permanent basis. In short, the government does not want to give any job security.”

Yadav, however, said, “The teachers’ fear is absolutely baseless. Colleges are the responsibility of the state. The process for the appointment of 1,158 assistant professors is underway and we are also recruiting 600 more teachers.”