Inspection committees rush’ colleges

At J M Patel College of Commerce, Goregaon, authorities received a letter on October 1 informing of the LIC team’s visit on October 4. As the intervening days were holidays, the college had no time to prepare. Finally, consideringthe authorities’ pleas, the university postponed the visit.

“This year, the university has been in a great hurry. We didn’t get any breathing space,” said a principal. “In fact, there were never any visits during the first term,” he added. Colleges also have to present documents and service books during a team’s visit which are difficult to organise at short notice, said principals. The teams also meet students, teachers as well as members of the management.

At Sant Gadge Maharaj College of Commerce and Economics, Khetwadi, authorities received a letter on October 2 about an LIC visit for October 6. Despite it being examination time, college authorities had to ask students to wait back. “The exams were from 8 to 10 am, and students had to wait till 3.30 pm although they had exams the next day,” said college sources. It was also difficult to collate records at short notice, they added.

Not all colleges faced a problem though; R M Upadhye, principal, K M Agrawal college, Kalyan, said: “We did notexperience any difficulties as the university intimated us in advance.” And though it was examination time, the LIC team could meet students, he added.

While university authorities claim that even colleges in mofussil areas were intimated well in advance, a member of one of the LIC teams had a different story to narrate. “When I went to the college, there was no one there, not even the principal,” said the team member. Not only that, the team member was told about the inspection four days before the date fixed. “I had no time to go through the files and the records,” the member added.

University officials say they are being blamed even when prompt work is done. “Principals themselves complain of difficulty in getting grants if affiliation work is not finished,” said a university official. Added Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra, “Only three city colleges faced a problem.” Eleven LIC teams are to visit 41 colleges, starting from October 11. The visits are to be completed before October 15,when colleges close for vacation.

At Narayan Guru College, Chembur, Vikas College, Vikhroli and J M Patel, visits were postponed, Dr Chandra said, as principals said they were not informed well in advance. At K M C College, Khopoli, the visit was postponed because authorities said examinations were going on, he added.

But it is another story that LIC visits to several colleges have been long-pending. Had they been carried out regularly, the current scenario could have been avoided. Though LIC teams are supposed to visit colleges every year, as it is physically impossible, the reports are usually clubbed for two-three years.

The university is trying to finish the pending LIC visits as the current Academic Council — which ratifies the LIC reports — will be disbanded this December, Dr Chandra informed. “The formation of the new body will take time, during which colleges will suffer if the visits are not completed,” he added. Also, while the last date for applying for affiliation is August 31 this year,colleges would close for vacation on October 15. The work had to be completed in the in-between period, he said, adding that this time colleges which had not been visited by LIC teams last year were considered.