All colleges in Punjab to remain shut on January 18

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 9

With no favourable response received from the state government, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Govt Aided Colleges’ Management Federation (NGACMF), Principals’ Associations, Punjab Chandigarh Colleges Teachers Union (PCCTU) and Un-aided Private Colleges’ body on Monday called for shutting all colleges shut on January 18. The colleges in the state are against the government’s alleged arbitrary and discriminatory decision to implement the centralised admission portal and lowering the retirement age of teachers at 58 years.

In a joint meeting of the JAC and unaided colleges, chaired by RMS Chinna, president of the federation, the management of the colleges decided to remain shut on January 18. “We are taking the step as the government is unresponsive to our demands,” said the federation president who chaired the meeting. He said the Chief Minister and the Minister of Higher Education had not even given them time for meeting to discuss issues confronting higher education in the state. Even now we appeal to the government to address the issues confronting the colleges in the state.

Citing that higher education institutions were already facing acute financial troubles in the wake of a drop in admissions as a large number of youngsters are shifting to western countries, he said there was no demand of such a portal.

“The indifferent attitude of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government to the issues confronting the colleges is forcing us to adopt the path of agitation and protest. On January 18, all colleges will remain shut and memorandums would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioners in all district headquarters as neither the Higher Education Minister nor the CM is giving us time to meet them to raise our issues,” said federation secretary SM Sharma.

“It is a matter of survival for the colleges. Many Colleges will close down if the government remained non-cooperative,” he said, adding that again they appeal to the CM and the minister to give them time to discuss the issues or they will have to go for an indefinite strike in the coming times. He said since there was no provision in the grant-in-aid scheme, which authorises the government to take over the admission process of aided colleges by government departments, rendering the decision illegal, null and void.

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