New colleges get lukewarm response

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 18

Even though the admissions to the newly established Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) have started in the Jammu region, the process is yet to pick up the pace.

Newcomers are hesitant in taking admission to new colleges, citing lack of infrastructure and faculty.

Pertinently, the state higher education department had recently given sanction to assigning charge to nodal officers/principals for the 52 new GDCs which will start functioning from the 2019-20 academic session.

The principals of the established government colleges in both regions were given the additional charge to run these new institutions till the appointment of permanent faculty.

During the recent counselling session for the admission to the constituent colleges of the Cluster University of Jammu, the candidates, who were not able to secure seats, were asked to contact new GDCs.

“I filled an online form for admission to the commerce college, but during the counselling session, I was informed that all seats had been filled and no subject combination was available. They suggested me to secure admission in new colleges where all subject combinations of my choice are available,” said Sushant, a student.

The new colleges do not have their own buildings and it will take another three or four years to complete the construction. Another cause for concern is new faculty.

Even the existing government colleges are having academic arrangements every year to run their affairs.

“We are not sure whether the new degree colleges will have adequate faculty in the arts and commerce streams,” Renuka, another student, maintained.

“The inauguration of the GDCs in Jammu city was on July 16 and 17, but the admission process was started even before that. If the candidates are not able to secure admission to the constituent colleges, then only they are coming to new colleges. First preference are still existing colleges,” she added.

Dr SP Saraswat, principal, GGM Science College, and nodal principal, Jammu city colleges, said, “This is the initial phase. It will take some time for the things to settle down”.

“No doubt, students are in some sort of a fix regarding admission to new degree colleges, but they do not have to worry as we have sufficient number of teachers.”