From Makeshift to Nowhere: 4 years without campus, GDC Allochi Bagh shut

Srinagar, Sep 2: The J&K Higher Education Department (HED) has shifted all the faculty members of the newly-established Government Degree College (GDC) Allochi Bagh Srinagar to nearby colleges.

The move comes after the college remained without a campus for almost four years since its establishment in 2021-2022 and was operating from a makeshift arrangement in MP Higher Secondary School, Srinagar.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Director Colleges J&K, Prof Sheikh Aijaz Bashir, said the government could not get the land for the construction of a permanent campus for the college for the past four years.

“We have not enrolled any students in the college this year. Since the government could not get land for the construction of a permanent campus for the college, the institution was functioning from a makeshift arrangement in MP Higher Secondary School, Srinagar,” he said.

On whether it was an outcome of declining enrollment in colleges at the UG level, Prof Bashir said the enrollment of students had increased this year compared to last year.

“Yes, some colleges are facing a challenge in terms of enrollment, but overall enrollment has increased this year,” he said.

Prof Bashir said the number of students enrolled during the current academic session in colleges this year had increased to 40,000 compared to 37,000 last year.

“During previous years, admissions were declining year-on-year, but this year we not only arrested the decline in admissions but also crossed the 40,000 mark,” he said.

The colleges are receiving a lukewarm response from students for admissions at the UG level, posing a major challenge for the government to keep colleges running.

During the previous years, the government closed around 4400 government schools established under the erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme due to a decline in student enrollment.

Now, the closure of Allochi Bagh college has raised apprehension about colleges meeting the fate of SSA schools.

In 2021, the government established 52 new Government Degree Colleges (GDC) across J&K.

However, a year later, the committee constituted by the government revealed that these colleges were functioning with meagre enrollment and also without basic infrastructure, defeating the main objective of establishing these colleges in J&K.

The J&K government in 2019 announced the establishment of new 102 degree colleges in two phases – 52 in phase I and 50 in phase II.

However, soon after making an announcement for making these colleges functional, the J&K administration led by Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu decided to put on hold the operationalisation of new degree colleges announced in phase II, citing a lack of resources.

The government decided to focus on those new 52 colleges which were approved in the first phase by the erstwhile State Administrative Council (SAC).

However, the government decision to establish new degree colleges was marred by several factors, which included the non-availability of land and disputes over ownership of the land identified for the construction of the college buildings.

Meanwhile, the Director of Colleges has asked the principals of the concerned colleges to send the monthly attendance of the deputed faculty members to the concerned principal for the drawal of salary.

The principals of GDC Allochi Bagh and GCW Baramulla have been asked to draw the salary of the deputed faculty members after receipt of their monthly attendance from their respective principals.