Reflecting the non-seriousness, the higher education department has left the Government Degree College Women’s, Anantnag headless for the past two weeks as the principal of the college attained superannuation in April ending.
The college is also facing scarcity of the teaching staff which has taken a toll on the academics as no online classes have been conducted in various subjects for the past two weeks.
Notably, the higher education department has assigned the charges of the principal to a senior faculty member to look after the college till the appointment of permanent principal for the college is made by the department.
But the students complained that they were left at the receiving end as they have not attended any online class for the past two weeks.
Notably, the government has ordered for closure of all educational institutions in J&K in view of the major spike in the COVID-19 positive cases reported on a daily basis. Following this, the schools, colleges and universities were directed to switch to online mode of education to compensate for the academic losses of the students.
“But our college did not conduct our classes for the past two weeks despite the instructions from J&K UT administration and UGC to hold the online classes of students,” a student of BG 2nd semester of the college complained to Greater Kashmir.
The students have not attended any online class for Environmental Science, English, Urdu, Literature, Education and other several subjects, leaving them disappointed.
“We approached our concerned heads of the departments but to no avail. No one is taking responsibility for not holding the online classes. The professor who is looking after the college affairs in place of the principal did not respond to our grievance as well,” the student said.
The students urged the administration to intervene into the matter and start online classes for them during the ongoing lockdown period.
The nodal principal of the Kashmir Colleges Prof. Yasmeen Ashai when contacted acknowledged the grievances of the students and said the senior faculty member looking after the college was asked to hire guest faculty to start online classes.
“It is true that the college has a dearth of teaching staff in some subjects but we have asked the in-charge to hire guest faculty to hold online classes for students,” she said.
Prof. Mushtaq Ahmad who is looking after the college affairs said the online classes were held continuously for all students of all the classes.
“But we have been told by the higher ups not to allow the academic arrangements continuing in the colleges on status quo to take online classes of students,” he said.