Resource crunch hits three MU women colleges
Gaya: Three women’s colleges under Magadh University are struggling to meet regular expenditure on electricity bills, sanitation material, private security guards, stationery and sundry items. The colleges are: GBM College , Gaya; Kishori Sinha Mahila College , Aurangabad; and RMW College , Nawada.
College officials said non-reimbursement by the govt of funds lost by the colleges in providing free education to girls has put them in dire straits.
According to Seema Patel, principal of Gaya-based GBM College, the women’s colleges are at risk of losing UGC recognition because of the resource crunch. She said the college is not in a position to go ahead with NAAC assessment on this count.
Patel said her college has to spend, on an average, Rs3 lakh per month on sundry items.
“Till intermediate education was being imparted in degree colleges, the situation was not that bad as the govt used to reimburse the fees of the students. However, no such reimbursement is made in the case of degree students,” said the principal.
A few months back, the university allowed the women’s colleges to charge about Rs3,000 per semester from students of subjects having labs, such as physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and psychology, on the undertaking that the fee would be returned once govt reimbursement was received.
However, that order has now been withdrawn following pressure mounted by student unions.
Urgent measures are required to retain the functional character of these institutions. Patel said the college would approach corporate houses for funds from their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) accounts to keep the institution running.
“The govt foots the salary bill of regular employees, but apart from salaries, there are other recurring expenses to be met,” said Patel.
MU registrar Binod Kumar Mangalam admitted that the women’s colleges are under severe financial stress. General colleges too are financially strained, as a sizeable number of girl students are enrolled in them and must also be provided free education, he said.
Besides women, fees are not to be charged from SC/ST students as well. From the money received from male students of the general category, these colleges somehow manage, he added.
The registrar expressed hope that the issue will be resolved and that the govt will open its wallet.
College officials said non-reimbursement by the govt of funds lost by the colleges in providing free education to girls has put them in dire straits.
According to Seema Patel, principal of Gaya-based GBM College, the women’s colleges are at risk of losing UGC recognition because of the resource crunch. She said the college is not in a position to go ahead with NAAC assessment on this count.
Patel said her college has to spend, on an average, Rs3 lakh per month on sundry items.
“Till intermediate education was being imparted in degree colleges, the situation was not that bad as the govt used to reimburse the fees of the students. However, no such reimbursement is made in the case of degree students,” said the principal.
A few months back, the university allowed the women’s colleges to charge about Rs3,000 per semester from students of subjects having labs, such as physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and psychology, on the undertaking that the fee would be returned once govt reimbursement was received.
However, that order has now been withdrawn following pressure mounted by student unions.
Urgent measures are required to retain the functional character of these institutions. Patel said the college would approach corporate houses for funds from their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) accounts to keep the institution running.
“The govt foots the salary bill of regular employees, but apart from salaries, there are other recurring expenses to be met,” said Patel.
MU registrar Binod Kumar Mangalam admitted that the women’s colleges are under severe financial stress. General colleges too are financially strained, as a sizeable number of girl students are enrolled in them and must also be provided free education, he said.
Besides women, fees are not to be charged from SC/ST students as well. From the money received from male students of the general category, these colleges somehow manage, he added.
The registrar expressed hope that the issue will be resolved and that the govt will open its wallet.
Next Story