The Higher Education Department has issued a Government Order permitting government arts and science colleges to admit more students from this academic year.
The order signed by Higher Education Secretary Sunil Paliwal states that government colleges can admit 20% more students in arts streams.
In the science streams too colleges with laboratory facilities could consider admitting up to 20% more students.
The order follows a request from the Director of Collegiate Education, Mr. Paliwal said.
The G.O. comes a fortnight after a review meeting with officials of universities under the purview of the department. The meeting on June 11 had specifically instructed universities not to approve additional intake.
‘Oral instructions’
According to the minutes, Vice-Chancellors and Registrars were requested not to grant approval for additional intake of students in government (20%), government aided (15%), and self-financing colleges (15%) until further instruction from the government.
“The same thing happened last year. We were instructed to get the approval of the affiliating universities. But we received oral instructions from regional joint directors to admit students who came with recommendation letters from political parties,” a professor said.
Government college professors wonder how they could accommodate additional students when funds were not enough to augment facilities such as laboratories.
The government has also decided to increase the number of courses without paying attention to improving facilities or even pay arrears due to them, point out the teachers’ associations.