Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, June 17: Amidst raging controversy over AIIMS, extension of the duration of B Ed and M Ed Programmes at Jammu University but relaxation to Kashmir in this regard has triggered another storm in Jammu, which is gearing up in arms against the alleged discrimination in Education sector also.
It is ironic that two sister universities of one State having same Chancellor, Pro-Chancellor and the same Department of Higher Education are adopting different yardsticks for the same courses for the reasons best known to the persons at the helm of affairs.
The Jammu stakeholders are up in arms against the alleged discrimination notwithstanding a clarification by the Jammu University over the duration extension vis-à-vis latest norms as per Justice Verma Committee recommendations regarding B Ed and M Ed programmes.
“We are not against the recommendations of Justice Verma Commission relating to duration and curriculum of the teacher education programmes in the State but implementation of the same in one university and giving relaxation to others is not justified,” said Harbans Singh, former Minister and president of the Forum of Recognized Colleges of Education. Terming the move highly discriminatory, he said that two-year B Ed Programme would be detrimental for Jammuites who will loose one year upon their counterpart in Kashmir Division.
While elaborating, former Education Minister and chairman of a College of Education, Gulchain Singh Charak feared that no student would seek admission in Jammu for B Ed or M Ed Programmes this session as it would cost twice besides double duration of two years whereas the same course is available in Kashmir University with one year duration and subsequent less fee. He asked the Government to stop this un-thoughtful hasty move until a proper exercise is done in this regard so that the new scheme is implemented simultaneously in both the Universities of the State.
Pertinent to mention here that the Jammu University has announced introduction of two-year B Ed and M Ed Programmes from the forthcoming academic session with revised curriculum whereas the same teacher education programmes in Kashmir University are still having one year duration for session 2015-16. Moreover, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) Rajouri, has also not changed duration of its M Ed Programme for the session, beginning from next month.
Besides the different durations of the courses, there will be two different yard sticks for the percentage of marks also for seeking admission to B Ed course this session; 45 percent marks for University of Kashmir and 50 percent in University of Jammu,
According to JU Vice-Chancellor Prof R D Sharma, the decision to increase the duration of B Ed and M Ed courses was taken after due deliberations by different statutory authorities of the university and the same was in the overall interest of the students as well as in the conformity of revised norms of NCTE. “In case norms and standards prescribed by the statutory regulatory bodies are not followed by the university, its degrees would not be honoured,” he added.
When contacted, the Commissioner Secretary Higher Education, Sarita Chouhan said that there no question of discriminating with Jammu as the duration of B Ed and M Ed courses in Kashmir University will also be of two -years from the next academic session. The confusion in this regard is only because of different timing of the academic sessions in Kashmir and Jammu, she added.
However, the stakeholders in Jammu did not agree with these versions of the Government and said that the matter of duration was discussed by both the universities in their respective bodies in April 2014 and the current session of KU began in March while the admission are still going on there. “Justice Verma Commission recommendations could have been easily implemented from current session in KU, which was given relaxation for this year,” they said.
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