THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, Jan 10: The fate of 580 students of Maa Nagina Shahi Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Bhavnathpur, under Garhwa district hangs in the balance as the State higher education department has declined to extend its affiliation.
Bhavnathpur BJP MLA Bhanu Pratap Shahi’s family members run this college under the Nilamber Pitamber University, Daltonganj.
The state higher education department has declined to give an extension of temporary affiliation for three consecutive academic sessions, i.e. 2022-26, 2023-27 and 2024 -28.
The refusal by the higher education department to give an extension of temporary affiliation is on the specific ground that this college has made no initiative for its evaluation and assessment by a mandatory body, NAAC.
NPU Acting Vice Chancellor Dr Tapan Kumar Shandilya has confirmed it, saying the state higher education department has put on hold the grant of extension of temporary affiliation for the college because this college has made no initiative for its evaluation and assessment by NAAC.
Dr Shandilya said there is a crystal-clear directive of the state higher education department that an extension of temporary affiliation will be granted only when the concerned college is up and doing its evaluation and assessment by NAAC.
The college in question has 382 girls admitted in its 2022 -26 session and 203 girls admitted in its 2023- 27 session. Session 2024 -28 still needs to take off.
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The Acting VC said, “The university is a mere recommending body to the state higher education department for grant of either permanent or temporary affiliation and further for extension or renewal of temporary affiliation. Granting affiliation is not the cup of tea of the university. Grant of affiliation is done only by the higher education department on the recommendation for it from the university.”
“The Nilamber Pitamber University did send the recommendation for extension of temporary affiliation for this Maa Nagina Shahi Mahila Maha Vidyalaya to the higher education department government of Jharkhand, which finally declined to grant the extension, citing this college’s apathy towards NAAC,” added the acting VC.
The director of higher education, Garima Singh, has sent letters reminding universities to prepare colleges under it to initiate the process of NAAC before seeking extension or renewal of temporary affiliation for college.
Why is there no initiative for NAAC?
In 2019, the ED attached the building and campus of this college, which are spread over five acres and little over 94 decimals of land, in a criminal case of DA (disproportionate assets) against Bhanu Pratap Shahi.
As the building and campus are attached to the ED, the management of this college has no legal and lawful claim to it, following which this college is in no position to claim to be evaluated and assessed by NAAC.
Five colleges declared to go for NAAC
There were six such colleges under the NP university whose grant of extension was held up by the higher education department. However, five of the six colleges declared their initiative for NAAC and bagged an extension of temporary affiliation, except Maa Nagina Shahi Mahila Mahavidyalaya. This college has to find ways and means to wriggle out of the crisis of provisional affiliation where this NPU has no role except for recommendation, which this university did,” Dr Shandilya added.
Sources said this college should have avoided taking any admission in session 2022 -26 onwards. It continued taking admission, and even the NP university conducted two-semester examinations of its students for session 2022- 26.
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NPU Acting registrar
Acting registrar of the Nilamber Pitamber University, Dr Mirtunjay Kumar, said, “The college authorities have been posted with the developments. I understand the college must explore how to bail out its admitted students of sessions 2022 -26 and 2023- 27.”
The acting registrar agreed that the students of this college would need help in having their CLC (college leaving certificate).
What is the way out?
Lawyers contacted by this correspondent said, “This college must seek legal redressal as it involves the fate of more than 580 girl students. The ED has attached the immovable property of this college, not the mental property, and hence, girls studying here are free to pursue and advance their mental property.
The lawyers further contended that there are legal safeguards to protect the student’s academic career in such a situation. This college must act fast in seeking legal brains to overcome this tedious issue. The admitted girls’ academic pursuits may be retained legally by allowing them to have their semester exams from nearby affiliated colleges and their results be published at par with the other affiliated colleges.”
