The students of New Women College Srinagar on Wednesday staged a protest against the government’s decision to shift them to other colleges in the city.
Scores of students assembled at Press Enclave and staged aprotest against the government decision.
The students said they were enrolled in New Women’s CollegeSrinagar but were now asked to shift to Amar Singh College and GovernmentDegree College Nawakadal.
“We don’t understand why we have to shift to other collegesat this juncture? We won’t go to other colleges,” said a student.
The protesting students said they are being asked to shiftto other two colleges as the department was mulling to make the newlyestablished new women’s College functional at Zakura. Till now, the college wasfunctioning from a make shift library block of the Amar Singh College.
“We have directions from the department to shift thesestudents to Nawa Kadal College and Amar Singh College because most of thestudents enrolled in the college are from Budgam district. And Zakura doesn’tfall in catchment area for these students,” said Principal new Women’s collegeMaheen Mustafa. She said 80 percent students enrolled in the college are fromChadura area of Budgam district.
Mustafa said some students from Batamaloo and other areasare insisting to come to Zakura for which they are holding a meeting with theirparents in the college campus.
“We have called parents of these students and we will allowstudents to join Zakura campus on their consent,” she said.
She said it won’t be possible for students of Budgamdistrict to cover a journey of 40 kilometres on daily basis to reach theircollege in Zakura. “For them, the government has given us two options of AmarSingh College and Nawa Kadal College,” the college principal said.
Recently, the secretary higher education department conveneda review meeting with college principals of Kashmir division wherein it wasinformed that the infrastructure and other necessary facilities of New Women’sCollege Srinagar, Batpora were accomplished.
In wake of this it was decided that the college shall beentirely shifted from Amar Singh College campus to its new building at Batpora.
“However, the students who are presently enrolled in thiscollege shall be adjusted in the nearby colleges-Amar Singh College or Women’sCollege Nawakadal Srinagar as per their convenience,” read the minutes of themeeting.