Pvt colleges running schools under lens

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 18

Faced with the problem of hundreds of seats in engineering, BEd, JBT and nursing colleges going abegging, these institutes running schools on their campuses in violation of norms have come under the scanner of the HP Private Institutions Regulatory Commission in their institutes.

Taking notice of violations of conditions imposed in the NoC for opening the institutions, the Education Regulator has directed the Director of Education to instruct all districts education officers not to allow any such private institute to run a school from its premises.

As per the directives issued by the Directorate of Higher Education, the institute must be asked to shift the school from the premises of the college in case permission has been granted to it by the Education Department. The order was issued on Tuesday by the Director, Higher Education.

The action by the directorate has come in the wake of reports that some engineering and polytechnic colleges had started schools on the same campus as they did not have enough students for courses approved by various regulatory and statutory bodies and Sunil Sharma, member, Regulatory Commission, had brought the matter to the notice of the Education Department for follow up action.

Sharma said since the opening of schools on the campus of the college was in violation of the norms of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC), he had asked the department to take action against the violators. There have been instances of some colleges in Hamirpur and Mandi running schools on the same campus as the college.

The order from the Education Department has been issued as the institutes of higher education cannot be used for running schools. The purpose for which land has been acquired and permission sought must be adhered to. The officials of the department have been warned that in case of any laxity of these directions by officials, disciplinary action will be initiated.

More than 50 per cent engineering seats in engineering courses and over 55 per cent BEd seats in private colleges had remained vacant last year in spite of permission being granted by the government to admit students who secured zero per cent marks in entrance test. Later, even those who did not appear in any test were also given admission and the situation is no better this year.

Disinclination of students towards engineering courses and mushrooming of BEd colleges coupled with high fee structure approved by the government has become a bane of private institutions who are finding it difficult to get students and utilising their infrastructure.