New Kangra colleges lack infra, staff

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 27

The previous Congress government opened nine colleges in Kangra district — Jandor in Jaswan Paragpur constituency, Ray in Indora, Dadasiba in Dehra, Khundian and Majheen in Jwalamukhi, Nagrota Surian in Jawali, Takipur and Mataur in Kangra and Lunj in Shahpur.

Two private colleges in Jwalamukhi and Baroh have been taken over by the state government.

All new colleges are operating in the buildings of government schools. The present government that had been criticising the previous government for opening institutions without providing any infrastructure is neither providing funds for constructing buildings nor closing them down. Even teachers have not been recruited.

The new colleges have taken a toll on primary and secondary schools. In Mataur, about 10 km from Dharamsala, a new building of Government Senior Secondary School was constructed. The school authorities were expecting that students would get rid of the unsafe building they were studying in. But the new building was handed over to Government College, Mataur, and the school is again being run from a dilapidated building.

Similarly, almost all new colleges have taken over the buildings of primary or secondary schools in their respective areas and schoolchildren are bearing the brunt.

The newly opened colleges have symbolise how political whims can affect higher education. These lack infrastructure and are operating from two to three rooms hired from primary or senior secondary schools. They also lack adequate teaching and administrative staff.

Though the state government has opened nine new colleges in Kangra district, no new teacher has been recruited in the college cadre. As per data provided by the state government, there are over 500 vacancies in existing colleges of the state. The number might have gone up with new colleges being opened all over the state.

The state government is transferring teachers from the old to new colleges. Many teachers from Dharamsala Government College, which is one of the oldest and most established colleges of the state, have been shifted. This has depleted the strength of teachers in Dharamsala college, where students from both Kangra and Chamba districts study.

The new colleges have only a few teachers, ranging from two to five on an average. At present, only a few courses have been started in the new colleges as these have less than 100 students.

The teachers said many government colleges that were opened even a decade ago lack infrastructure. Shahpur Government College, which has been functioning for more than a decade, is being run from an old building. Science classes have not been started in the college as yet. The government should first improve infrastructure and recruit teachers in the old colleges before opening new institutions.

Now, there are 21 government colleges in Kangra district, which means more than one government college per Assembly constituency.

Operating from two-three rooms 

• The new colleges, operating from two or three rooms hired from primary or senior secondary schools, lack teaching and administrative staff.
• There are over 500 vacancies in the existing colleges of the state and no steps have been taken by the government to fill these. 
• The government is transferring teachers from the old to new colleges. Many teachers from Dharamsala Government College have been shifted. 
• This has adversely affected Dharamsala college where students from both Kangra and Chamba districts study.