VIJAYAWADA: The recent student suicides have once again put the spotlight on junior colleges, in particular corporate colleges. The Chakrapani Committee, which was formed to frame guidelines to curb student suicides, had recommended the setting up of a monitoring committee in each college and a district level ethical committee as well to keep tabs on institutions. The monitoring committee in each college is supposed to hold a meeting once a month with the students so as to solve their problems if any. It is also supposed to meet the ethical committee to apprise it of the developments in the college. However, Secretary of Junior Lecturers’ Association Ravi told TNIE that very few private colleges have set up such a committee.
Government colleges have set up committees but, according to him, they are not active at all. “The committees were formed, but they are not functioning at all. Colleges are still going by their own rules and implementing their own schedules. Students have no hope of any change. After a series of suicides, the colleges reduced working hours to 8-10 hours for a few days. However, soon after, the colleges started functioning for more than 12 hours as usual,” said Ravi.
The Chakrapani panel had recommended 18 steps, with the prominent being the constitution of the panels. Subsequently, the Intermediate Board had issued the 18 guidelines. As far as the ethical committees, which comprise the joint collector and civil society representatives among others, they have been set up in all the 13 districts in July this year. However, they have not held a single meeting with the respective monitoring committee till date, a senior IAS official told Express.
Apart from forming the committees, the State government has restricted teaching hours and declared Sunday a holiday for all junior colleges. But, a majority of the private junior colleges are flouting the rules. Students are forced to attend classes from 7 am to 8 pm. At the same time, students staying in hostels are forced to study up to 18 hours a day, including class hours. Even Sundays are working days for students in most of the private junior colleges.
Spandana (name changed), a student of a private junior college here, said, “We are supposed to reach the college by 6.45 am and from then onwards, we have continuous classes which end at 8 pm. Even on Sundays, we are made to take exams. On Sundays, they shift us to schools and conduct examinations and classes so as to avoid the attention of student organisations.”
The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) has de-recognised 237 colleges this year and issued notices to 194 colleges for running hostels illegally. However, officials say they are unaware of the colleges conducting classes illegally on Sundays. “We clearly instructed the college managements to stick to the 8 am-6 pm schedule. As of now, the colleges are following it and we haven’t received any information that they are flouting the rules and conducting extra classes. If we come to know of any such college, we will take action against them,” B Udaya Lakshmi, Commissioner of Intermediate education, told TNIE.
What’s a monitoring panel
Each college must have one
It comprises an officer from the Health or women & child welfare departs
One representative of the college management
One lady headmistress of a nearby government school
One lady police officer
Two local activists
What’s an ethical committee
Each dist must have one
It comprises the Joint Collector, Women Welfare Officer, regional intermediate officer
Two educationists and two civil society representatives