Asserting the importance of feedback from the groundlevel educationists working in the field of higher education, the HigherEducation and Language Minister Pargat Singh has said that it comes in handyfor preparing a blue print of road map for giving boost to Higher education.Hence a mechanism should be developed to have a regular interaction with theeminent names from the academic world.
It was in this light that first interactive session withprominent educationists was held at Punjab Bhawan Chandigarh. About 30academicians including former and present Vice Chancellors, Pro Chancellor,Principals and teachers from all over the state shared their vision about thefuture of Higher Education and the steps needed to take Punjab to next level.The Secretary Higher Education Krishan Kumar, DPI (C) Paramjit Singh andAssistant Director (College education) Dr. Gurdarshan Brar were also present inthe meeting.
In his opening remarks Higher Education Minister PargatSingh stated that it is very significant to have a vibrant higher educationsector. The college education system must meet the aspirations of the presentyouth and should be able to make them responsible citizens of the society aswell as equipping them with requisite skills to make them employable.
He also said that there is dire need to have a short termand long term planning to achieve this goal. Adding further, the minister saidthat the State Government is very serious about the recruitment in theGovernment Colleges and will fill the vacant posts in very short span of time.He assured that he will continue to strive to push all concerned for increasingthe spending on higher education and research.
In order to coordinate the development of a Roadmap forHigher Education Sector, the Minister proposed to set up a committee and anumber of subcommittees to take care of different issues confronting the highereducation. The gesture of interaction with the participants for well over threehours, was highly appreciated by one and all present in the meeting.
Former Vice Chancellor and an eminent educationist Dr.S.P. Singh highlighted the importance of having a satisfied cadre and apprisedthat at present the highly qualified teachers are being poorly paid andshabbily treated and as such teaching as a profession has become last resort.It is important that glory of teachers and teaching profession is first revivedto make it first grade choice. The UGC pay scales should be immediatelyimplement without any further delay, added the Ex Vice Chancellor.
Almost all the participants were very vocal in statingthat the vacant posts in the Government colleges must be immediately filled inas transparent manner as possible. So that good quality regular teachers arerecruited. The representatives of Aided colleges also requested the governmentto allow regular appointment of teachers in the aided colleges as per theirneeds. The portability of the sanctioned posts should be allowed from onecollege to another within a management and state as it would result in bettermanagement of human resources. At the same time review of the posts with respectto work load should be carried out regularly.
The participants also wanted that NCC should beintroduced as a subject and education should be made skill oriented. In thisdirection the importance of industry academicia interaction was also highlighted.The introduction of short term certificate courses, exchange programs forteachers, carrier counseling, uniform curriculum/eligibility criteria acrossthe state, formation of inter university coordination committees, resourcepooling and formation of Sector Skill council were also advocated by theparticipants.
The malpractices being adopted by private colleges wasalso highlighted prominently. It was pointed out by participants that a largenumber of private colleges especially Education colleges are openly advertisingabout enrolling non attending students. The Minister asked Secretary toimmediately bring to book such institutions.
On the occasion, the Secretary Higher Education, Mr.Krishan Kumar, while thanking the Minister for taking the bold initiative ofholding discussions with educationists assured that all necessary steps will betaken to rejuvenate the higher education sector with cooperation of allstakeholders. He also said that many innovative ideas have come up in themeeting which would be duly considered. He also thanked the participants forsparing time and coming to Chandigarh from every nook and corner of the statefor a noble cause.