Operation cleanup: Bihar govt might scrap policy of supporting unaided educational institutes
The present policy of granting funds to unaided institutes depending on their performance has resulted in educational institutions engaging in malpractices.
In Short
- State govt grants funds to unaided institutes based on their performance.
- This policy resulted in malpractices.
- Govt said if inquiry concludes 95 per cent things are wrong
- operation cleanup will start.
After the shocking expose of the Bihar education scandal, the Bihar government is mulling over "operation cleanup" with regards to its policy towards unaided educational institutions in the state.
PRESENT POLICY
The state government grants funds to unaided institutes on the basis of their performance as of now. This means that an institute which churns out good results year after year, is given more funds.
"This policy was performance based when it was introduced but later it started being misused. We are conducting investigations and are waiting for a detailed report. If the report concludes that that 95 per cent things are wrong, we will start operation clean up", said Ashok Chowdhary, Bihar Education Minister.
Chowdhary added that the educational institutions are hand in glove with the Bihar board.
INSTITUTES INDULGE IN MALPRACTICES
Experts maintain that the condition of more grants being provided to better performing educational institutes has generated a tendency among schools and colleges to indulge in malpractices.
The dubious Bishun Rai college, which is under scanner in Hajipur, performed brilliantly in the last few years with hardly any student getting even a second division. This, despite of a lack of proper teaching staff.
Nageshwar Sharma, former Chairman of Bihar School of Examination Board, revealed how these students secured top positions without regular classes.
"Ever since the government decided that more funds would be given to those institutes which perform better, more and more colleges started to mushroom in the state. This was done in connivance with the college mafia and the politicians," he said.
Sharma added that these colleges started minting money in two manners - making money from the students by luring them with first division and massive funds from the government.
NUMBER OF INSTITUTES INCREASING
Interestingly, there were only five government colleges and 22 private colleges in 1932 which received funds from the government. But since 1982, the year a new policy came, the institutes began mushrooming.
It was in 2008 that the state formulated the new policy to provide financial assistance to unaided educational institutes after which a huge number of institutes came into being.
- A student who passes 10th with 1st division receives Rs 3500, with 2nd division gets Rs 3000 and with 3rd division receives Rs 2500.
- For 12th, a student receives Rs 4500 for passing with 1st division, Rs 4000 for 2nd division and Rs 3500 for 3rd division.
- In degree colleges, scholarship of Rs 8500, Rs 8000 and Rs 7500 is given for securing 1st, 2nd and 3rd division respectively.
- There are around 600 unaided educational institutions in the state and the government spends Rs 300-500 crore on them.
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