AMRITSAR:The Non-Government Aided Colleges Federation today took a strong exception to the proposed ‘The Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2021’ as passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha on November 11, to amend the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Act, 1974. The amendments will impose unreasonable restrictions on the administration of the aided as well as unaided private educational institutions in the state.
In an emergency meeting of its Office Bearers, the Federation termed the amendments as `dangerous’ attack on the autonomy of the Colleges that will harm higher education, already witnessing tough times due to current fall in admissions and financial challenges. The federation shot off a letter to honourable Chief Minister, Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi today seeking intervention into the arbitrary, illegal move of the government.
An emergent OB meeting was convened and as discussed in the last Executive Body of the Federation on November 12, 2021 at Ludhiana, the Federation raises strong objections to the amendments, which are draconian in nature. CM Sahib and Education Minister Pargat Singh Ji must immediately look into the matter and must not rush to enact the Bill into the law as it violates the law of the land”, said Federation President Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina
He said all the 136 aided colleges in Punjab, six in Chandigarh and other private unaided colleges have been providing education for the last over 100 years and they contributed immensely to the society and they are now being forced to `shut down’.
There is a provision of appointing an Administrator to manage the affairs of affiliated College in case of suspension of the Managing Committee, which is a highly regressive step. On a small, trivial pretext, the government will intervene in the affairs of the Colleges which violate the original structure of autonomy available to the institutions of higher learning”, said Chhina.
The other office bearers including Vice President Ramesh Kumar Kaura and general secretary SM Sharma said the bill proposes to give the government un-necessary controls which will thwart free dissemination of education. “The government must rather provide more autonomy to the Colleges and get rid off their back to provide quality education, uninterrupted by unnecessary rules and regulations, laid down by the bureaucracy for its own self-importance and vested interests”, they said.
The Federation objected that if the government gets the power to suspend and nominate specific individuals on governing bodies, it will lead to chaos and will prove to be an inhibiting factor for administering private educational institutions. They said sadly the amended act nowhere provides any mechanism to challenge the illegal and unwarranted suspension of Managing Committees.
They said the Managements Federation has decided in principle to oppose the Bill as arbitrary and illegal to protect the interests of the managements of private affiliated colleges keeping in mind the likely adverse impact of the draconian amendments introduced in the bill by the state government. “If the need arises all the colleges will be shut in protest against the new move and the legal recourse will also be taken”, said RMS Chhina earlier.
He further added that the Colleges which are stakeholders were not even consulted before making the amendments which proves government machinery’s malafide intentions. The apex body of colleges management is prepared to fight for their rights and if need be to approach the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana to declare the act as arbitrary, discriminatory and biased against the interests of private colleges, working as extended arms of the state government and serving the cause of education and hence declare the same as ultra vires.