Established more than eight years ago the government degree college (GDC) Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan in Downtown has just 10 students on its rolls with at least six faculty members on its rolls.
The college is functioning from four “hired” rooms of MPhigher secondary school (HSS), depicting the grim picture of poorinfrastructural standards in existing degree colleges of the state.
This year only 10 students are on the rolls in the college,said a source. Earlier, the government had decided to introduce differentcourses in the college to attract students. But the proposal never took off.
“This is the only college where teaching faculty outnumbersthe students. From past four years we have been hearing about differentinitiatives to increase the enrollment in the college but nothing has happenedon ground during the past eight years,” an official in higher educationdepartment said.
Greater Kashmir carried a series of stories on the collegein the past. An official said at one point it was suggested to merge thestudents with a nearby college and utilise services of its faculty on needbasis in other colleges.
The official said a Rs 11.45 crore proposal had beenapproved for setting up a permanent campus for the college, adjacent to GandhiMemorial College. But despite passing of more than five years the constructionwork hasn’t been completed.
The upcoming building of the College would be separated byjust a wall with Gandhi Memorial College, a clear violation of norms foropening of the new colleges.
“There is no doubt that authorities have failed to make thecollege functional like othercolleges in Kashmir. The government shouldcomplete construction of the new campus and introduce some specialised courseswhich can help to attract students,” an official said.
Director Colleges J&K, Muhammad Yasin Shah said thegovernment was “seriously thinking of making the college functional andincrease its enrollment as well”.
“We are expecting to shift the college to permanent campusby end of this year. We are hopeful the enrollment will increase withintroduction of specialised courses,” Shah said.
Commissioner Secretary higher education department TalatParvez said there was no purpose of keeping faculty posted in any college whichhas meager enrollment of students.