Dr. Ramjilal, Social Scientist, Former Principal, Dyal Singh College, Karnal (Haryana- India)
Email—drramjilal [email protected]
(Samaj Weekly)- Haryana has 61 universities in the government and non-government sectors of higher education. These include 8 central universities, 22 state universities, 2 public universities, and 8 deemed universities. As of January 2023, the number of private universities in Haryana approved by UGC and AICTE is 24 as per UGC notification. From the point of view of specialization, there are general universities, technical universities, agricultural universities, medical universities and technical universities, and state institutes of engineering and technology. Bhagat Phool Singh Women’s University in Haryana (2006- Khanpur-Sonipat) is the first university for women in north-western India. In these universities, specific subjects like arts, science, commerce, fashion design, Sanskrit, medicine, business management, law, technology, agricultural education, horticulture, engineering, etc. are taught. Haryana’s government colleges, government-aided non-government colleges and self-financed colleges are affiliated to universities.
The number of private colleges receiving financial assistance in the current academic session 2023-2024 is 97. There are 1.18 lakh students in the colleges. The number of government colleges is 182 and 1.33 lakh students are enrolled in them. 35 thousand students are enrolled in self-financed colleges.
Educational level :
The educational standard in private colleges is better than government colleges. The Trust managed colleges are imparting quality education, but some family-based societies managed institutions are not coming up to mark. The educational level of the majority of government-aided private colleges can also be gauged from the fact that the NAAC assessment ranking of aided private colleges is much better than that of government colleges.
Disagreement between Government and Management Committees
Government-aided private colleges are run by management committees or trusts. These include Dyal Singh College Trust Society, Delhi, Hindu Educational and Charitable Society, Sonipat, Jat Education Society, Rohtak, DAV Education Society, Delhi, Santan Dharma (SD) Education Society, Delhi, Vaishya Education Society, Rohtak, Tika Ram Education Society, Sonipat, MLN Education Society, Yamunanagar, Khalsa Education Society, Yamunanagar, etc. are the main societies and trusts.
Private-aided colleges are given a 95 percent subsidy by the government for the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff, while only 5 percent of the money is given by the management committees. There is a big rift between the government and the managing committees, due to which the government wants to adjust the employees of private colleges. Because the government believes that the money is ours, you will not have control over the employees.
Lack of Uniformity in appointments in government-aided private colleges:
The following are the main reasons for the lack of uniformity in appointments in government-aided private colleges:
First, management committees are run based on family, religion, and caste. Therefore, these factors influence the appointments from principal to peon.
Secondly, according to reliable sources, academicians also believe that many management committees do not have even 5% funds. The result is that rumors of transactions worth lakhs of rupees keep spreading in appointments by such management committees and principals.
Third, university representatives – ‘so-called experts in the subject’ – try to accommodate their students or known candidates. As a result, due to conflict between the so-called experts of the universities, and the management committees, the interview process has to be canceled by the chairman of the selection committee (management representative). As a result, there is a question mark on the appointments.
Adjustment of teachers and non-teaching staff: Issue and Politics:
The issue of adjustment of staff of aided private colleges is not new. Even before this, the teaching and non-teaching staff of colleges in many states of India were accommodated in government colleges. In Haryana too, in 2017, the Manohar government had adjusted government-aided schools. Adjustments were made to teaching and non-teaching staff in government schools. It can be emphasized that the adjusted teaching and non -teaching staff (Employees) are getting all benefits with their counterparts.
The process of adjustment of employees of private colleges has been mentioned in the 2014 election manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Bharatiya Janata Party had publicly said that if it came to power, the government would adjust the staff of private colleges. But the government and BJP remained silent on this subject for 5 years. This matter went into cold storage. In the 2019 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party once again gave political air to this issue.
From the year 2014 to the year 2023, academic and non-academic employee leaders contacted MLAs, Ministers, and the Chief Minister apprised them of the main issues, and put pressure on the adjustment of the employees. On the other hand, opposition parties supported the adjustment of employees and forced the government to take this decision. Keeping an eye on the elections of the year 2024, the Haryana government has decided to adjust the teaching and non-teaching staff of private colleges.
Why do Teaching and Non-teaching Staff want adjustment?
After the elections of 2019, the organizations of teachers and non-teaching staff of aided colleges have been fighting for their demands for four consecutive years (2019-November 2023).
Main demands:
The main demands of teachers and non-teaching staff of aided private colleges are – revised house rent, ex-gratia amount, encashment, retirement gratuity of NPS employees, medical facilities, the benefit of the seventh pay scale, etc. Not only this but in government colleges the salary is given on time whereas in private colleges the salary is not given on time. At present, the employees of these colleges have not received salaries for the last 3 months. The employees of these institutions are discriminated on the pretext of being governed by Private managements , that’s why we are denied every justified rights which are being given to Government & Universities employees particularly medical & timely pension facilities also to the retirees. In recent meetings with government officials & representatives of the retirees, it was observed that they are given stepmotherly treatment on the pretext of being the employees of privately managed bodies. Hence, the government does not own the responsibility of Government-Aided private Colleges employees . As a result, they are forced to approach the judiciary system of the state. At present more than 25 writs are pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh. Shortly, the retirees are also filing another writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.
Due to the unfair attitude of the bureaucracy, the teaching and non-teaching staff working in these colleges are ready for adjustment because they have been struggling for a long time..
What does management say about adjustments?
Private-Aided College Management Association is against the adjustment. Former MLA Tejveer Singh, head of this apex organization, opposing the government’s decision, said in a press conference at the Press Club of Chandigarh on November 18, 2023, that 97 government-aided colleges in Haryana are the ‘backbone of education’. 97 private government-aided colleges run by societies and trusts are providing ‘better education’ than government colleges. Addressing the press, he said that due to the adjustment of teachers, about 2 lakh students will be deprived of the experience of ‘qualified and experienced’ teachers, which will lead to a decline in the ‘standard of education’. Therefore the apex organization opposes the adjustment of employees. Our personal view is that the government should not make adjustments because:
1. The government’s problems will increase
This will further increase the number of self-financed private colleges. These 97 colleges will also become self-financed colleges. This will increase the problems of the government in the field of higher education.
2. Education will become expensive
Education will become expensive as a result of self-financed colleges. Economically weak students will not be able to get education in these colleges. The fees for self-financing courses in a reputed NAAC Grade A+ aided private college in Karnal are reflected in the following fee structure:
Class Fees
B.Sc – ₹ 22,970 (1st year fees)
M.Sc – ₹ 61,870 (1st year fees)
B.Com – ₹ 17,970 (1st year fees)
BCA – ₹ 25,290 (1st year fees)
B.A – ₹ 10,760 (first year fees)
MA – ₹ 8,810 (1st year fees)
3. Encouraging exploitation
Exploitation will be encouraged due to teachers and non-teaching staff not getting full salaries in these colleges. Teaching and non-teaching staff will also be deprived of other facilities. They can be fired from the job at any time because their future is not secure. In such a situation, how can those who do not have a secure future build a good future for the students? This is an important question
4. Against the Reservation Policy
Due to the non-implementation of reservation policy in these self-funded colleges, the interests of qualified youth from backward classes and scheduled castes will be harmed. Suggestions to Solve Adjustment Issue
Instead of adjusting the teaching and non-teaching staff of 97 private colleges receiving government financial assistance, the following are suggestions to solve the problem:
Firstly, in private colleges, there are only 2932 teachers and 1664 non-teaching staff, whereas, in government colleges, 2194 teachers including about 1200 women are serving on contract. They are called ‘Extension Lecturers’. All Extension Lecturers are qualified for permanent jobs. Advertisements are published in various newspapers to hire extension lecturers and they are selected through interviews by a panel. Their services have been for more than 10 years. Many of them are also overage. Our opinion is that by creating a ‘separate cadre’ of extension lecturers, they should be confirmed so that their ‘ tension’ ends and they too get good days in The Amrit Kal. They will get freedom from exploitation and their future will be bright. They will be more dedicated to their duty. The policy of hire and fire will be zeroed out
Second, there are 182 (180 degree colleges + 2 B.Ed colleges) government colleges in Haryana. Of these, 82 are PG, 63 are women’s, and 119 are co-educational colleges. In 182 government colleges of Haryana, 8137 posts of professors are sanctioned and out of these, 4738 posts are vacant. The recruitment of 1535 assistant professors has been stuck for more than a year. If adjustment of teaching and non-teaching staff is made from financially aided private colleges, there will be no new recruitment.
Third, instead of adjustment, teachers and non-teaching staff of private colleges receiving government financial aid should be provided the same facilities as their equivalent employees working in government colleges.
Fourth, The government should set up a separate Commission to run the affairs of these aided institutions and it can take responsibility for all the employees of Aided institutions otherwise, the staff will be given step motherly treatment on every point. Therefore, It is suggested that a Commission should be appointed to make appointments and service rules under its command, and employees of these institutions will be treated at par with their counterparts. This is the only solution for the government of the above-mentioned institutions just like a few states such as UP, Kerala, etc. The government’s concern about malpractices will be sorted out and quality education can be achieved. It will change the entire scenario of higher education in Haryana
Fifth, the policy of rationalization should be immediately implemented in government colleges. Professors and other staff should be deployed in proportion to the number of students. In colleges in urban areas, the staff is much more in proportion to the number of students. On the other hand, there is a shortage of staff in colleges in towns and rural areas. Based on the investigation, such examples will also be found that there are two sections in the timetable, but in practice, both are given together and that too, instead of teaching on one’s own, many times the extension lecturer is forced to teach. The Haryana Government has constituted the Rationalization Commission. Based on the recommendations of the Rationalization Commission, improvements can be made by transferring and adjusting staff as needed.
We may conclude that the government of Haryana should implement the above suggestions to improve the conditions and direction of higher education, and government policies need to be in the public interest. Privatization and commercialization of higher education in Haryana are neither desirable nor wanted in the public interest.
