MOHALI: A delegation of the Joint Association of Colleges (JAC) visited the Indian Parliament under the leadership of S. Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member, Rajya Sabha, to raise important issues concerning higher education institutions and students.
The delegation met Mr. J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment; Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education; Sh. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and Mr. Jayant Chaudhary, Minister for Skill Development and Mrh Ravneet Bittu, Minister for Railways.
Dr. Anshu Kataria, Co-Chairman, JAC; President, Punjab Unaided Colleges Association; and Chairman, Aryans Group of Colleges, Rajpura (Near Chandigarh), mentioned that the delegation interacted with various Members of Parliament and apprised them of the challenges faced by private unaided colleges. These included pending scholarships, declining GER among SC students, fee structures, and policies affecting the sustainability of higher education in Punjab and neighboring states.
During the visit, JAC office bearers, including S. Manjit Singh (Patron), S. Gurmeet Singh Dhaliwal (Chairman), S. Jagjit Singh Dhuri (President), S. Sukhmander Singh Chattha (Secretary General), Rajinder Singh Dhanoa (Secretary, JAC), S. Gurdyal Singh Buttar, Adv Amit Sharma Ashok Garg, S. Swinder Singh Gill, Navjot Dhaliwal were part of the delegation.
The JAC delegation was warmly welcomed by Shri Ashok Mittal, Member of Parliament, at Punjab Bhawan, Delhi. He assured all possible support for the betterment of unaided colleges in Punjab and for strengthening higher education in the region.