New colleges risk SSA-like fate as faculty moved from GDC Aloochi Bagh

Srinagar, Sept 02: The J&K Higher Education Department (HED) has shifted all the faculty members of the newly established Government Degree College (GDC) Aloochi Bagh Srinagar to nearby Colleges.

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 last many years.

"We have not enrolled any student in the college this year. Since government could not get land for construction of permanent campus for the college, the institution was functioning from a make shift arrangement in MP Higher secondary school Srinagar," he said.

When asked was it outcome of declining enrollment in colleges at UG level, Director Colleges said the enrollment of students has increased this year as compared to last year.

"But yes some colleges are facing a challenge in terms of enrollment but overall enrollment has increased this year," he said.

Prof. Sheikh Aijaz said the number of students enrolled during the current academic session in colleges this year has increased to 40000 as compared to 36000 last year.

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

During the previous years, Government closed around 4400 government schools, established under erstwhile SSA scheme, due to decline in the student enrollment.

Now closure of Aloochi Bagh college has raised apprehension about colleges meeting fate of SSA schools.

The government in 2021 established 52 new Government Degree Colleges (GDC) across Jammu and Kashmir.

However, a year later the committee constituted by the government revealed that these colleges were functioning with the meager enrollment and also sans basic infrastructure, defeating the main objective of establishing these colleges in J&K.

As already reported by Greater Kashmir, J&K government in 2019 announced 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 operationalization of new degree colleges announced in phase II, citing 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 non-availability of land and dispute over ownership of the land identified for the construction of the college buildings.