PART – II
(KC Kalkura)
The role of the aided institutions in spreading literacy and dissemination of higher knowledge in pre and post independent India was laudable.
They were Oases in the deserts. But for them, many middle-class youngsters would not have pursued even a high school education, leave alone higher studies. Their numbers, particularly colleges, substantially grew. The National Movement was catching the imagination of the people. The establishment of these institutions as part of that Movement. By persuasion or on account of pressure, the Governments encouraged them by sanctioning grants for the teaching and non-teaching staff. They shared the responsibilities of the Govt. They pooled their own resources to build infrastructure and the Govt bore only the salaries and emoluments of the teaching and non-teaching staff. However, depending on their performance and their National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grades, the University Grants Commission (UGC) makes some special grants for creating infrastructures like building and laboratory equipment.
For the past ten years, the Govt has not allowed the management to recruit new staff in the places of those retired. Managers are compelled to start ‘self-financing’ courses financing courses by raising their own funds. ‘Contract/part-time, teachers/ lecturers have become the order of the day. In fact, even the govt institutions, including the Universities run with ‘part-time/contract staff. In spite of the stress and strain and handicapped of the competent teaching staff, the schools are achieving the SSC results on par with the Municipal, Govt, and Zilla Parishad schools. Most of the colleges have been maintaining good standards. Many private aided colleges are imparting postgraduate courses also. They have so much space and playground, that the areas possessed by many schools can build colleges and the colleges can start Universities as per the UGC norms.
In fact, many institutions of higher learning including the Universities were started as such. The NAAC is a government organization that assesses and accredits the standards in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). It is an autonomous body funded by the UGC and headquartered in Bangalore. NAAC accreditation is generally at the institutional level, assessing the performance based on various parameters categorized into 7 criteria.
The Quantitative Metrics (QnM) add up to about 70% and the remaining about 30% are Qualitative Metrics (QiM). Many aided colleges get good NAAC grades. Reputed among them, after thorough scrutiny, have been awarded Autonomous Status by the UGC. At the same time, there are Govt colleges that do not qualify for the NAAC. These institutions produced many stalwarts of the National Movement and in all walks of life in pre and post-Independent India They contributed to the Industrial Revolution and scientific development. Every living thing shares an ancestry. If the education system is a living thing and if its aim is to build a solid future, these institutions need to be strengthened. In fact, there are more shortcomings in the Govt institutions than in the aided ones. To overcome the paucity, the Governments in the developing countries are expected to spend 6% and 4 % of their GDP, respectively on Education and Health. But unfortunately in our country, the budget allocations by the State and Central Governments are not even half of them.
In this scenario on 10-8-2021 the Govt of Andhra Pradesh issued G.O.MS .NO .42 making allegations, mostly unfounded and imaginary against the Aided Educational institutions: such as “gradual decrease of strength in aided courses; vacancies filled up without any transparent method of recruitment”.
“To kill a dog, call it mad and kill it” is an old proverb. To substantiate its preconceived notions Govt appointed a Committee that reported to suit the Government’s intentions. So the G.O reads: “This testified that in the circumstances the private aided educational institutions in the State seems to have lost their relevance and vitality as most of them are lagging behind the Govt and unaided educational institutions in terms of performance and quality resources. Hence theGovernment felt that the present policy of extending grants-in-aid to private educational institutions needs detailed review and course correction.” This sweeping generalization is totally irrational and illegal.
So the proposed action includes ‘Taking over the management of the aided institutions with assets, without any compensation and the aided staff would be treated as Govt employees.’ However, contract /part-time teaching and non-teaching staff would be required to give an undertaking to the effect that they had no claim for the status of Govt employees. Further, the Govt is at liberty to deal with the surplus, fixed, and movable assets of the institution.
Institutions that have opted out of grant-in-aid run on their own have restrictions on the utilization of the properties they own, depending upon the source of acquisition. It is made specific that the Order is applicable to the minority institutions also.
Aggrieved by the G.O. the managements approached the High Court of A.P. They alleged: “The existence of aided schools and colleges date back to British rule. They have produced eminent personalities in the past when there were no post-graduate colleges around. Now, with a stroke, the government is out to ruin the entire ecosystem of aided institutions,” The High Court while entertaining the petitions for adjudication, “directed the government not to coerce unwilling aided schools to accept its merger offer and that necessary instruction is given to the officers concerned to disburse the grants-in-aid as usual until the slew of petitions filed against the merger are adjudicated.” Yet maximum pressure was put on management and they were pressured to surrender the grant-in-aid staff.
Yet, sensing a ‘rough weather’ in the High Court the Government resorted to damage controlling measures and course correction. It issued a circular memo no.1072635/Ce/A1/2020 Dt.12-11-2021. The circular affirms the earlier conditions and adds one more option to the Management “In this regard, after careful examination of the matter In order to clarify the spirit of the Policy, The Government hereby provide another opportunity for those institutions, who want to reconsider the option given earlier or those who have not responded earlier to exercise their options choosing one of the following options earliest so that the government can take further action in the matter without any further delay. “Withdrawing the willingness given to surrender the institution without accepting any compensation; to take back the surrendered Staff and run the institution as a Private Aided Educational Institutions per the Existing rules, regulations, grant-in-aid codes, etc”
Accordingly, some institutions have opted to address the Govt to repatriate the staff surrendered by them. Some of them have returned, but some staff preferred to remain in the Govt service. For example, Osmania College, Kurnool, had surrendered 29 teaching staff. It offered to take all of them back. But only ten have returned to the mother institution.
There is no indication that the Govt will fill up the vacancies in Govt institutions, caused by the repatriation of the teaching staff to the mother institutions. Even if it starts right now, there is no likelihood of it being completed during the academic year 2022-23, for the procedure is laborious and long-drawn.
Owing to Pandemic / Covid 19, the academic activities have been disturbed from March 2020. It was slowly getting on the rails. This hasty action has further confused and created a mess at a crucial time. The Governments are obliged to implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act and the New (National) Educational Policy (NEP). With this disturbing atmosphere, confusion is successful.
There are shortcomings in the management, functioning, and academic activities, in the aided institutions. Nothing is foolproof. They are not irreparable also. The Government can enforce thumb rules. Already unilateral appointments by the managements are barred. Commissioner of Higher Education, Govt of A.P. appoints teaching and non-teaching staff almost on the same model as it does for the Govt Colleges. It can still go further and appoint on its own. Teachers can be allotted by the District Selection Committee (DSC). Grants are drawn by the Principal of the I.D. (Identification – Govt ) College in each District Salaries and pensions are directly credited to the individual accounts of the staff.
This is a crucial juncture. There is a need to plug the loopholes and strengthen the existing systems and involve them in the forward march and progress of the Nation. If there are any aided institutions, that blatantly and vindictively violate the rules and regulations, action can be initiated against them, individually under relevant procedures.
Instead, weakening the whole system is not a good omen. (Concluded)
(Opinions expressed are personal)
(K.C.Kalkura, Advocate and Social Activist, Kurnool)