HYDERABAD: With the Intermediate Board tightening the noose around 300 junior colleges, on charges of violating norms, a cloud of uncertainty looms large over the fate of thousands of Intermediate students in Telangana State (TS).
Though the State government claims that it aims to impart free and quality education to all, the intermediate education sector in Telangana seems to be in shambles, due to lack of proper monitoring system and the apathy of the State Board of intermediate education.
The Intermediate Board is reportedly planning to disaffiliate nearly 300 private junior colleges for violation of fire safety norms and irregularities in construction of college buildings. According to sources, the board is in the process of issuing disaffiliation notices to these colleges.
With only a few months to go for public examinations, it is the timing of the disciplinary action that has come as a surprise to the students, who are busy preparing for the exams and their parents. The move would put the future of thousands of students at risk. Interestingly, the Board allowed these colleges to conduct admissions, without any formal affiliation, at the start of the academic year.
The recent trend in the state’s intermediate education sector also indicates the silent retreat of the private junior colleges boom.
According to the data available with the Intermediate Board, around 400 private junior colleges have shut down in the 2013-14 academic year alone for various reasons.
With the strict implementation of affiliation norms, the number of colleges is likely to come down further. Though previous reports suggested that the Board has denied affiliation to 2,497 private junior colleges, the statistics with the Board paints a different picture. According to a recent statement issued by the Intermediate Board, the total number of private junior colleges functioning in the State is only 1,943.
Following recent notices, 1,269 of these colleges have applied for No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the State Disaster Response and Fire Services department. “Once they submit their application along with the NOCs from the Fire Services department and the municipal body, the Board will issue affiliation orders,” a senior official from the Intermediate Board said.
Several colleges have responded and submitted NOC certificates to the Board. After examining their applications, the Board has extended affiliation to 337 of the 1,943 colleges. The Board is expecting 1,646 colleges to be in order. However, the status of 297 colleges, that allegedly violated the norms, still remains unclear.