Meagre enrolment in new GDCs: Govt to convene high level meeting to discuss future course of action

Srinagar, Feb 6: The J&K Government is scheduled to convene a high level meeting on February 7 to discuss the issues of meagre enrolment in the newly established Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) during the past few years.
The meeting has been convened after a government panel flagged meagre enrolment and infrastructure deficit in the new GDCs across J&K.
As already reported, a high level report framed by the government has revealed that the majority of the newly established degree colleges have failed to attract the students for admissions while the construction of the permanent buildings for these colleges has also hit a road block for various reasons.
The Higher Education Department (HED) has already submitted the committee report to the General Administration Department (GAD) in March last year. In wake of this, the GAD has made some observations and asked the HED to chalk out the future course of action accordingly.
In wake of this, the government has scheduled a high level meeting to deliberations on the issue and chalk out a future course of action as well.
As per the meeting notice, a meeting of the committee constituted in August 2021 will be held on February 7. The meeting will be chaired by the Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department to revisit the report of the committee and in light of the observations raised by the General Administration Department (GAD)
The committee is scheduled to discuss rationalization of existing Higher Educational Institutions in the Union Territory besides holding deliberation of the criteria for opening of future Higher Educational Institutions in the Union Territory.
“The committee will decide about the future course of action in respect of colleges with exceptionally low enrolment,” the notice reads.
The meeting will be attended by Director General (Budget) Finance Department, Director General (Codes) Finance Department, Director (Finance) HED besides other officers of the HED.
It is pertinent to mention that the J&K government announced the establishment of new 52 across J&K.
Later in 2021, a committee was constituted to oversee the rationalisation of Higher Educational Institutions in J&K.
The committee was constituted to study the requirements of Higher Educational Institutions in the J&K UT besides examining the rationalisation of existing higher educational institutions.
“The committee had earlier recommended that the new colleges which have failed to show any improvement in admissions should be closed,” an official said.
Meanwhile, as per the official documents, out of 52 newly established colleges only 22 degree colleges have succeeded to have a student enrolment up to 200 during the last two academic sessions.
“The committee is expected to announce some major decisions with respect to the colleges which have meagre enrolment,” the official said. (KNO)