Somaiya8217;s B Ed college faces closure

MUMBAI, SEPT 24: As unaided BEd colleges get ready to implement the Fifth Pay Commission scales, already, one of them has thrown in the t...

MUMBAI, SEPT 24: As unaided BEd colleges get ready to implement the Fifth Pay Commission scales, already, one of them has thrown in the towel. The K J Somaiya College of Education 8211; one of the most prestigious BEd institutes under the University of Mumbai 8211; has decided to shut shop.

Even as non-grant BEd colleges dream up ways to ensure their survival, the Somaiya management has requested the university for permission to close down the college 8211; which has over eight teaching staff and 80 students 8211; from the next academic year. The notice, issued in April this year, will be 8220;placed before the appropriate authority,8221; said Dr Naresh Chandra, university Pro Vice-Chancellor.

If the notice is to be withdrawn, either a grant should be given or fees should be hiked, said college authorities. While they are unanimous that teachers deserve a hike, it is the 8220;irrational8221; fee structure as worked out by the government that has drawn flak. At a meeting of the 15 unaided BEd institutes held on September 15, collegeofficials decided to submit a memorandum to the state government demanding that they be either given grant or be allowed to rationalise the fee structure according to the salary expenditure incurred.

Explains Dr M N Deshmukh, principal of Somaiya BEd college: 8220;For unaided colleges, the only source of income is fees from students. The intake is 80 students in our college, with 50 per cent payment seats and the other 50 per cent free.8221; The annual tuition fees is Rs 20,500 for payment seats and Rs 8,500 for free seats. Certain BEd colleges have been allowed to admit 100 students, which puts the income of a institute at around Rs 14 lakh. As against this, colleges incur an expenditure of over Rs 20-30 lakh.

According to Dr Deshmukh, colleges have been suffering a deficit from day one. Reeling off figures, he says the college8217;s deficit grew from Rs 63,000 in 1990-91 to Rs 15 lakh in 1998-99. And once the pay commission scales are implemented, the deficit is likely to go up to over Rs 30 lakh. The salary billitself will be going up by 40-60 per cent.

Says Dr Deshmukh: 8220;All unaided colleges are suffering such huge deficits, in the range of Rs 7-8 lakh. Which management will want to run an institution like this?8221;

Concurs Mathews Chacko, principal of Pillai8217;s College, Chembur: 8220;With this fee structure, it is difficult to carry on. I need over 23 lakh to run my college and I earn only around Rs 14 lakh 8212; which means a deficit of over Rs 9 lakh every year.8221; Further, each college has to fulfill certain statutory norms, as laid down by the apex body National Council for Teachers8217; Education NCTE, the state government and the university. At the same time, no funds are forthcoming, complain principals. Also, despite the fact that the course is in demand, colleges have not been allowed to admit more students or increase fees.

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Further, colleges have to pay arrears to the teachers as the Fifth Pay Commission has to be implemented with retrospective effect, from January 1996. Says D K Tharyani, principal ofPushpanjali College, Vasai: 8220;There is no way we can pay the arrears. As it is we are suffering a Rs 5 lakh deficit which will go up to Rs 13 lakh after Fifth Pay Commission scales are implemented.8221;

Unaided colleges will therefore be submitting a memorandum to decide the fee structure in the line of unaided schools, where fees are to be calculated on the basis of salary expenditure incurred as against the number of students. But Datta Rane, Minister for Higher and Technical Education, told Express Newsline: 8220;We cannot do anything now. The new government will decide.8221;