SIALKOT, Nov 24: An upward of 2,000 students of a BS Programme at the Government Murray College is facing uncertain future due to a tussle between the Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) and the University of Gujrat (UoG).

The Murray College is affiliated with the UoG which has reservations about the role of the HED in deciding about various courses of study.

The issue started when the UoG had opened its “franchised campus” in Sialkot a few months ago and asked the Murray College management to offer admissions in just six of the 14 subjects of BS classes which had been going on for the last four years.

The college had been running the BS Programme by offering tutoring in 14 subjects -- BBA, IT, botany, chemistry, zoology, mathematics, physics, statistics, economics, English, Islamic Studies, Political Science, psychology and Urdu -- for four years. A notification issued on Sept 19, 2013 by Dr Tahir Aqil, Registrar University of Gujrat, stopped the Murray College from conducting classes of BBA, IT, botany, chemistry, zoology, mathematics, physics and statistics under the four-year programme introduced by the HED.

The UoG took the plea that its special committee had found out inadequate infrastructure and staff for the BS Programme, which could hamper the quality of education. “The semester system requires certain level of faculty, infrastructure and paraphernalia which the Murray College lacks,” it said.

The UoG said it had no other option but to disallow new admissions in 2013 in the eight subjects, advising the Murray College management to comply with the required criteria in terms of faculty and academic infrastructure for continuing the programme.

The Murray College authorities immediately contacted the HED secretary to sort out the issue. It claimed that the programme was being run smoothly and attracting students because of its market value. The HED in a notification to the UoG registrar recommended continuation of the programme.

On Nov 6 last, the UoG registrar once again came up with a notification (No UOG/Reg/004/149 D) addressed to the HED secretary, claiming that the UoG Affiliation Committee again visited the Murray College in September 2013 to review the required infrastructure and on the basis of evidence strongly recommended cessation of admissions to some departments. It once again argued that the college was ill-equipped to run all these disciplines.

Agitated, the Murray College again contacted the HED secretary who directed the UoG vice chancellor to intervene and ensure continuation of the programme in line with the vision of the chief minister. He said there should be no disruption in the interest of the students.

Murray College Principal Prof Javaid Akhtar told Dawn that following the instructions of the provincial secretary, the college management admitted more than 2,000 students to different disciplines. It’s unfortunate that the UoG had banned admissions to eight subjects at a time when the entire process (of admissions) had been completed.

The programme, he said, had been launched on the direction of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif four years ago when the Murray College had little infrastructure and inadequate faculty arrangements. “But now the college has academic facilities, infrastructure and competent faculty,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UoG has set certain conditions for admissions to even the six ‘allowed’ subjects. Admissions will be made on the basis of the NTS – a condition which will be applicable to the Murray College, and not the Gujrat varsity’s campus here.

The students and their parents have expressed concern over the situation and demanded that the higher education authorities take notice. They protest that there should be one criterion for the Murray College and the UoG local campus, and the recent moves smack of mala fide intention.