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| Secy Hr Edu Whatsapp msg makes rounds among college faculty groups | | Principals asked to ensure functioning of colleges on Civil Sectt’s pattern | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 12: Instead of issuing any proper order or a circular, a message on social networking site Whatsapp, attributed to Secretary Higher Education (Hr. Edu.) Department has been making rounds on the social media groups of college faculty members.
The tone and tenor of the message is crisp and clear asking the Principals to ensure the functioning of all colleges in Secretariat way but at the same time, leave it to the discretion of the Principals to ensure functioning, keeping in view and ensuring the COVID-19 protocols.
The order of Higher Education, directing college Principals to prepare roster of college staff as well as ensuring the functioning with 33 percent attendance of the staff had evoked criticism and was seen as a violation of the General Administrative Department (GAD) order regarding closure of colleges upto 31st of May.
The latest message of the Secretary Higher Education has come in view of the criticism as instead of issuing proper order or circular, a Whatsapp message has been circulated, which reads, “GADs order regarding closure of college upto 31st May is neither suppression nor modification to Higher Education department order which elucidates for the functioning of the colleges and universities”.
It has made it clear to the Principals of the Colleges to ensure non-teaching works get resumed as in Civil Secretariat. “Infrastructure development, renovation etc, procurements including laboratory and library equipment, assessment and examination preparation and allied activities, exams scheduled in July, admissions in August and new batch in September” it further reads.
The message has also directed the college principals for ensuring some other works which includes, “digital class infrastructure and virtual setups for development and customization of curriculum content including science labs and delivery platforms, online training for IT initiatives and curriculum transaction, research work if necessary.”
Putting the onus on the Principals the message further reads, “it is in the discretion of the Principal concerned to utilize human resources optimally keeping in view and ensuring the COVID-19 protocols”. “College staff, NSS and faculty are also to be involved in voluntary duties as and when called for by the administration so need to get orientation for effective coordination and enforcing health protocols”, it concludes.
Nodal Principal Jammu Colleges, Dr Ravinder Tickoo said that the message would have been forwarded by the Secretary to some of the official, who might have circulated it among all the college faculty members. He said that as the restrictions have been eased by the administration the minimum work has to be started by the colleges. “These are the minimum works to be done by the Principals so that the colleges would be able to be made fully functional when the need arises”, Dr Tickoo said.
However, questioning the sending of message of Secretary on the Whatsapp groups, some faculty members doubted the presumed intensions behind such acts. “The higher officials want to make the colleges fully functional and this message is in continuation of the previous order of Hr. Edu., in which the colleges had been asked to start functioning with 33 percent staff. The onus lies on College Principals, who have made roasters but refuse to provide assistance such as issuance of passes, to the college staff to reach their colleges in view of COVID-19 restrictions”, a faculty member said, adding that the department should come up with a clear-cut policy and directions instead of indulging in such opaque tactics. |
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