While thousands of students from Kashmir move to outside states every year to pursue professional and higher studies, the successive regimes in the state have shelved several proposals for establishing private colleges in the region, resulting in draining out of around Rs 1200 crore from the Valley state annually. “More than 100 proposals are pending with the government for permission for setting up of private colleges in the Valley,” revealed said G N Var, president Private School Association Jammu and Kashmir (PSAJ&K).
The private school body alleged that the government doesn’t want private education sector at higher level to flourish in Kashmir. The issue came to fore once again after Kashmiri students pursuing academic and professional courses in different colleges in outside states returned to the Valley after facing intimidation and physical assault by mobs in different states including Uttrakhand and Hayrana.
Around two dozen Kashmiri students were suspended and two Kashmiri professors were sacked from the institutions outside state. The incidents created insecurity among parents who were hesitant to send their children back to join the colleges in outside states. “We held several meetings with the administration and submitted our proposals with complete action plans, but our proposals are rejected repeatedly because government wants us first to set up complete infrastructure for allowing under-graduate or professional courses,” Var said.
He termed the condition as strange saying more than 20 existing government degree colleges were without permanent campuses for past seven years and are functional from make shift arrangements. “Why don’t the authorities apply same condition for these colleges as well?” he asked.
Also, the government has decided to make newly announced 52 degree colleges functional in rented accommodations and will construct permanent campuses in a phased manner.
“The academic session should be started in those institutions only for which the land and rented accommodation has been identified,” read the minutes of the meeting which was convened by secretary higher education department, with degree college principals on March 23. “The government can make its college functional from rented accommodations and makeshift arrangements but are setting strict conditions for us,” Var said.
He said some of the higher secondary schools in Valley have good infrastructure available where they can start at least one professional undergraduate course. “In 1996, the government allowed establishment of B.Ed. colleges by relaxing rules following which scores of colleges gradually built their infrastructure.
Same procedure should be followed for establishment of private colleges with a deadline to develop infrastructure within two to three years,” Var said. Noted academician, Prof Tariq Chalkoo said the “infrastructure condition” was a hurdle and it should be removed. “Availability of infrastructure means that a classroom should be well furnished, equipped and ventilated properly.
A good teacher is a must,” he said, adding the colleges outside state are far behind in infrastructure than in the Valley. “I have been to a college in Hyderabad which functions from 4 rooms on second storey of a building in a commercial lane.
The college produces good result every year,” he said. He said the government should not create hurdles if people are ready to invest in private sector to provide better education facilities to students in the Valley.
“Why a student needs to leave the Valley if he/she gets better educational facilities at home. Government should allow well-established private higher secondary schools to start under-graduate courses which don’t require laboratory facilities,” he said.
Academicians also said J&K government should take up the matter with ministry of human resource development (MHRD) and extend the benefit of Prime Ministers Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) to J&K colleges which will put a stop on students moving to outside states for education. “If MHRD agrees the state can use PMSSS grants to promote colleges in the J&K and provide better education,” Prof Chalkoo said.