Instead of establishing systems and procedures through goal setting and long term planning we have developed the tendency of responding to the expediencies of the party’s in power; catering to their political priorities. Moreover, for their aversion towards the long term planning and love for ad hoc, it has eroded the established institutions of governance and has been abusing the laid down procedures at the cost of transparency in the administration.
Besides having taken toll of accountability in the government and breeding corruption at every tier, the ad-hocism has affected some critical sectors like agriculture, education and health adversely. It is no secret, with most of the fertile agriculture land lost to urbanization in the state more particularly in Kashmir province the state has almost become entirely dependable for imports from outside. For lousy planning, the state has lost its self-sufficiency in food grains, particularly rice, the staple food for the overwhelming population.
It has now become wholly dependent on imports from Punjab. Similarly we have failed to put up a comprehensive employment policy. Instead of engaging educated youth transparently on a permanent basis for ensuring accountability in the administration, administration has been adding to the existing incompetence by appointing them on tenure and contractual basis often on political considerations.
Of all the sectors, education has been the worst victim of this policy, where teachers are appointed on paltry consolidated salary for academic sessions at the cost of education of the student. A couple of days back, a classic example of how untrained teachers mar the studies has come to the fore. In the recently declared results of the Government Polytechnic College in Kashmir eighty per cent of students performed poorly with many failing to qualify the examinations.
One of the primary reasons for poor performance has been dearth of qualified teachers on a permanent basis in the college. The faculty engaged on tenure or contractual basis have no stakes in the institution, nor have any interest in honing up their teaching skills. The polytechnic college is not an isolated example; the practice of appointing faculty on contractual basis at the cost of students is the practice in all the universities and colleges in the state.
The universities and higher education department besides stopping reengaging superannuated faculty should also do away with the practice of hiring teachers on a contractual basis. Instead, in the interest of improving the quality of education in universities and colleges, vacant positions should be filled up on a permanent basis at regular intervals.