The University Grants Commission (UGC) has penalised three degree colleges of the summer capital and retrieved funds worth Rs 30 lakhs released eight years ago under Basic Science Research (BSR) programme for purchasing science equipments.
An official said UGC released Rs 10 lakh to each collegeunder BSR but few colleges across country including three degree colleges ofSrinagar were penalised and asked to repay the amount to UGC along with theinterest.
“The UGC raised objections that funds were released in 2010when the colleges had valid NAAC accreditation. But these funds were utilisedduring the period when accreditation of the institutions was expired,” anofficial said. He said the basic amount was deposited back to UGC months ago.
“But UGC has asked these colleges to also deposit the amountof interest of Rs 10 lakh for past eight years which has been opposed by thecollege principals,” the officials said.
The funds released under BSR by UGC in 2010 were to beutilised within a time frame of six months by the concerned colleges.
“Even the college principals agreed to pay the interest offive months but UGC didn’t agree on that,” said an official privy to thematter.
The three colleges which were penalised include GovernmentWomen College M A road Srinagar, Islamia College and SP College Srinagar.”Accreditation of MA Road College has expired in 2009 but we get an extensionperiod of one and a half year to get it revalidated. But till now theaccreditation of the college has not been renewed,” an official said.
Newly appointed principal in M A road college, Yasmeen Ashaihowever said the renewal of NAAC accreditation for college was under processand will be completed in June.
The NAAC accreditation of SP college was renewed in 2017 butthe BSR funds have been utilised by the college before renewal ofaccreditation.
“The funds were utilized genuinely but still UGC askedus to deposit it back,” the college principal said.
Besides retrieving BSR funds, UGC also imposed ban on hiringsubstitute teachers by these colleges in place of permanent faculty members whoopt for research programmes under Faculty Improvement Programme (FIP).
“We have two substitute teachers in our college who arewithout salary. But we have taken up the matter with director colleges. We arehopeful that the issue gets resolved and our substitute teachers will be paidtheir salary,” Yasmeen Ashai said.
An official said the salary of substitute may be released asthe colleges have deposited the funds to UGC which were released under BSRprogramme.
Director colleges J&K Muhammad Yaseen Shah said all thethree colleges have deposited the amount to UGC “but the issue waslingering due to difference over demand on amount of interest.”
“But we are in touch with UGC and are demanding relaxationof interest,” he said.
He said the funds for salary of substitute teachers hiredunder FIP programme will be also released. “We are hopeful that once issue ofSBR gets resolved, UGC may release salary of substitute teachers which havebeen engaged by the colleges,” he said.