Bisma Bhat
Srinagar, Mar 2: Even as colleges across Kashmir reopened last month, the government is yet to arrange the faculty to resume classwork.
On February 7, all the colleges in the summer capital reopened after six months of lockdown post abrogation of Article 370. However, the administration has not resumed classwork despite students attending the colleges regularly.
Amir Hussain, a student at Government Degree College (GDC) Bemina said for the last one month around 1700 students of 4th and 6th semester have not attended a single lecture because there is no faculty available.
“We have already lost one precious academic year due to the unprecedented situation. We cannot afford more academic loss. We have contractual faculty available, but the principal is not allowing them to take the class,” Hussain said.
Colleges across South Kashmir are the worst hit with administration even going to the extent of asking students to return to their homes.
Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, 5th-semester student of GDC Pulwama, said since February 8 no class has been held in their college.
“College administration is asking us to use study material. We are expecting the exams next month. We have not even completed 5% of our syllabus. Our future is at stake,” he said.
Shazia, 2nd-semester student at GDC Bijbehara, said that despite contractual lecturers being available, college administration is not resuming the classwork.
Dr. Showkat, a contractual lecturer at Kulgam Degree College said they regularly attend college, but the authorities do not allow them to conduct classes. “Even the court has ordered to continue the services of contractual lecturers, but they are least bothered,” he said
Professor Bashir Ahmad, Principal Amar Singh College, Srinagar, who has been assigned the job framing merit list of contractual lecturers, said it will take them three more days to complete the process.
“As the government issued new guidelines for the academic arrangement of college lecturers, we have to frame the merit list accordingly,” he said.
Media spokesperson to advisor KK Sharma, Afaq Ahmad said the order for appointing contractual lecturers is under process and will be issued within a week.
