First grade colleges; next in line for merger

'Special cases' spared by the dept

Following the merger of government schools, anganawadis and hostels by the Education department, it is now the time of First Grade Colleges to be merged.

Department of Collegiate Education in a recent circular has instructed colleges with less than 15 students in graduate courses, such as B A, B Sc, BBM and BCA, to transfer/merge students with nearest government colleges, having more than 15 students.

The circular has instructed colleges to admit not less than 15 students to the above mentioned courses in any First grade college. With respect to optional languages, if less than five students opt for a language in the college, then they must ‘self-study’ the language. This fact must be brought to the notice of students during admission, the circular said.

If a college admits less than 15 students to the above mentioned courses, principals of respective colleges will be held responsible for all the consequences, it said.

Relaxation

The circular has identified ‘special cases’, in which less than 15 students can be admitted to Home Science, Music, Geology, Electronics, Statistics, Women’s Studies, Criminology and Journalism degree courses.

“Last year, the Department had given a verbal instruction on the same. Following the circular, some first grade colleges fear not having students all year around. Instructions on what steps should be taken in such cases is awaited from the department,” a principal of a First Grade College in the city said under the condition of anonymity.

Official sources in the Department of Collegiate Education said that there are 359 first grade colleges in which 10,507 guest lecturers are employed. Following the circular, merger of colleges with less than 15 students have been instructed by the department. Lecturers of colleges with less than 15 students will be deputed to the nearest colleges, which will solve the problem of appointing guest lecturers, the source added.