Streamlining education

The cabinet has cleared many necessary and timely suggestions made by a special committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary that lead to streamlining of education and recruitment in the state service. A serious and intricate situation had been created by an order of the Government last year which de-recognized nearly 146 private educational institutions of the State. The problem was with the students obtaining degrees through distance education mode. After de-recognition, the degrees obtained by the former students of these institutions through distance mode were not recognized by employing authorities. It led to litigation on a wide scale because the students were not at fault. After all if the Government slept for years at end over the question of legality of these institutions, why should the unsuspecting students bear the brunt? De-recognition of such a large number of illegal institutions speaks of chaotic conditions and administrative failure. This can happen only in a lawless state. Has the Government taken any action against such officials as are responsible for this lapse? They are the first on whom the axe should have fallen and not the students. The decision of the cabinet to de-recognize the degrees obtained through distance mode again seems unjustifiable. The committee should have suggested a via media of asking the affected degree holders to clear the bar in order to legalize their cases. The essence of distance education, as we are told by the UGC, is that such students as have difficulty in accessing institutions of higher education for continuing their academic pursuits provide an opportunity to them to do so. It has been a great idea for a backward country like India and the Indira Gandhi National University became the most prestigious institute in this regard. It set forth the norms and standards for a university to open the department of distance education. The essence of the scheme should not get defeated by the underhand means employed by some unscrupulous people who open fake educational institutions and colleges and falsely tell aspiring students that they are affiliated to some mainstream university. Prevention of these criminal acts is the responsibility and duty of the Government, and especially the departments of higher education in our state this department has miserably failed to check the mushrooming of illegal institutions which has been the root cause of embarrassment for the Government and frustration for the students.
One more consequence of this stark negligence on the part of the concerned authorities has been the discriminatory treatment adopted in prioritizing the merit of a degree obtained through distance mode from a central or centrally recognized institute and the one obtained from a college affiliated to a university. Any discrimination of this sort is bound to discourage the students who are placed on the wrong side of the line. It is unjust and unlawful. It is a different matter to build a claim on the basis of merit like marks in lower examinations etc. Nobody would like to interfere in the criterion forming policy of the Government. But it has to be uniform and as far as possible fully accommodative.
From the reports trickling down in the media, we find that the cabinet has dealt with this part of the case very minutely and the policy adopted appears very sound and workable. The Government has at least realized the consequences of even a small negligence on the part of a Government department or functionary. We hope that in future no private institute should be allowed to function unless it fulfills the requisite conditions.
Secondly, there have been grave lapses in the system of recruitment and promotion. Government is the biggest employer in J&K State meaning it has the largest number of employees running into lakhs. There are recruitment rules applicable to all candidates seeking Government employment and besides there are also departmental rules and both run side by side without clash. The question is of establishing the merit of aspirants. Educational career, marks sheets, performance in written and oral test usually called entrance tests are the accepted norms on the basis of which merit of candidates is established. Perhaps this cumbersome system does not really do justice to deserving candidates. It can be manipulated, it can be subverted and it can be abused. There are hundreds of court cases of this nature pending before the judges. This has necessitated the cabinet to review the system and come out with some reforms based on the recommendations of the committee headed by the chief secretary. These minor or time serving reforms are welcome because after all the essential purpose is good governance. The Chief Minister has been trying his level best to reform the system so that delivery of justice and administration becomes transparent, quick and justifiable. Education department has the largest number of employees in the state administration and its problems too are both quantitatively as well as qualitatively enormous. The Government has already taken a number of steps to improve the functioning of the department of education and much more is still in the pipeline. Even since the Chief Minister took charge of the department, it has come under scanner a number of times and various improvements have been suggested including promotions as principles and senior lecturers etc. and a policy of postings and transfers has also been standardized to remove corruption and nepotism. These measures should not go unnoticed. We have a vast educational network in the State and education to backward areas and remote villages is spreading fast. This will necessitate the Government to keep pace with the phenomenon in terms of updated services and administrative reforms. The rate of literacy is increasing and has almost reached the neighbourhood of 65-70 per cent. Women education is also spreading fast. A day will come when the much complicated affair of transfer of teachers and other staff will cease to be because local expertise will be available for recruitment. Therefore the reforms which the cabinet has agreed are of far-reaching importance.

Follow our WhatsApp channel