Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 10
Even though the college students across the region were today expecting Guru Nanak Dev University to take a final call on announcing the final schedule of the semester examination amid the ongoing teachers’ strike, no announcement came in till this evening. This leaves the students of 34 colleges from the district in a complete dilemma as the practical papers ahead of the theory examination were slated to begin from December 14.
The varsity officials have, however, made it clear that there would be no online examination as has been announced by IK Gujral Punjab Technical University and Panjab University. Ruling out any such move, GNDU Controller of Examination Prof Manoj Kumar said: “The question of online examinations does not arise as we have been conducting offline classes since August 16 onwards. Considering the situation, we are planning to release a fresh datesheet within 10 days. Participation of teachers is required for conduct of examinations offline. With teachers on strike, it might cause delays.”
The college teachers, who have announced a complete education bandh since the past nearly a week, were expecting some outcome in the yesterday’s Cabinet meeting regarding their demand for implementation of the 7th Pay Commission of the UGC. “We were expecting some outcome in the Cabinet meeting at Chandigarh yesterday but not a word was discussed about the massive protests going on in the colleges of the state,” said principal of an aided college here adding that they have all met new Higher Education Minister Pargat Singh with their demands a number of times, but to no avail. “They have funds to announce tens of thousands of crores for every project but nothing for the nation-builders,” said another principal.
Prof Manoj is also concerned about the adherence to UGC guidelines of 90 days of regular classes under the semester system. “If teaching remains suspended for more days, the legitimacy of the course can be revoked or challenged.” He also termed the teachers strike as a justified move. “They have been waiting for many years for the government to implement the 7th pay commission pay grades. Their demands must be taken seriously if the quality of higher education in the state has to improve”, he said.
Over 200 teachers of different colleges of Jalandhar district lined up along the road outside Lyallpur Khalsa College on Friday under the banner of Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) to register their protest against the anti-education policies of the state government.
District General Secretary of the union, Dr SS Bains, said the process of de-linking teachers’ pay scales from the UGC scales was going to hit higher education in the state very badly, leading to lack of financial resources for colleges and universities of Punjab.
Addressing the gathering the President of GNDU-affiliated non-government colleges Principal Association and Principal Lyallpur Khalsa College Dr. Gurpinder Singh Samra appealed to the government to pay attention to the just demands of the teachers by implementing the 7th Pay Panel recommendations and by revoking the state government decision of delinking with UGC pay scales and to save higher education. State PCCTU General Secretary Dr. Sukhdev Randhawa said that the education bandh would continue till a favourable action by the government was made.
Amid teachers' strike, GNDU says no to online exams this semester
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