The Action Committee of the Non-Govt Aided Colleges’ Management Federation, Principals’ Associations, Punjab Chandigarh Colleges Teachers Union and Un-aided Private Colleges’ on Monday announced to shut down all colleges on 18th January 2023. The colleges have been shut down against alleged discriminatory decisions to lower the retirement age of teachers to 58 years and to implement the centralized admission portal.
In a joint meeting which was headed by RMS Chinna, President of the federation, the management of the colleges decided to close all colleges on January 18. In a statement, he said that this decision has been taken as a result of unresponsive demands by the government to their appeals. He further added that CM Bhagwant Mann and the Minister of Higher Education have not even scheduled a meeting to hear out their problems and find a solution to it.
The federation secretary SM Sharma stated that government’s non-responsive attitude has forced them to take the path of agitation and protest in order to get their demands heard. He added, “a memorandum would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioners in all district headquarters as neither the Higher Education Minister nor the CM is giving us time to meet them to raise our issues.”
He said that their demands are a matter of survival for the colleges. SM Sharma stated if the CM does not schedule a meeting with them and they will be going on indefinite strike in the coming time.