GUJRAT: The University of Gujrat (UoG) has written to the Higher Education Department (HED) for disaffiliation of its five constituent colleges, namely the Nawaz Sharif Medical College (NSMC), three women colleges and a boys college.

When the university was set up in 2004, four of the colleges, namely the Government Science College GT Road, Government Degree College for Women, Railway Road, Fatima Jinnah College for Women Fawara Chowk and Government College for Women Marghzar Colony, were made its constituent colleges besides the NSMC.

Now after 14 years, UoG VC Prof Dr Shabbar Atiq, through a letter, approached the HED for disaffiliation of its constituent colleges and restoration of their status to the pre-university times.

Prior to this request, the VC has already approached the health department for disaffiliation of the NSMC.

The varsity offers 19 associate degree programmes, four bachelor’s degree programme, including the LLB and one postgraduate programme, in these constituent colleges along with the intermediate. The UoG has also recruited 97 associate lecturers and teaching assistants for these colleges. The women colleges are offering many dedicated four-year degree programmes for girl students. In addition, these colleges hold movable and immovable properties that are being used by university, including the 127 kanals land in front of UoG’s Hafiz Hayat Campus gate.

The official sources say the varsity administration has already abolished many departments at the Hafiz Hayat Campus, including the Centre for Languages and Translation Studies (CELTS), Cardiology, Orthopedics, Urology, Dermatology, Anesthesiology, Radiology, Emergency Medicine. Several faculty members working in abolished departments cannot get pension and provident fund due to non-existence of their statuary posts in the revised service statues.

Seeking anonymity, some senior faculty members say many of senior statuary positions like registrar, controller examination, deans of three faculties and director Office of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (ORIC), director Quality Enhancement Cell, director Security, director Student Service Centre (SSC), director UA&FO, director IT and director administration have been vacant for the last three years and the varsity has been delaying the selection process.

VC Shabbar Atiq says the summary to disaffiliate the constituent colleges has been lying with the HED for the cabinet approval since running the intermediate programmes in its constituent colleges do not come under the purview of the varsity, which can’t spend its resources on such programmes. He adds that the previous staff and faculty of these colleges have already been sent to the HED and the further staff required for running these colleges is not available with the UoG.

Responding to a question, Mr Atiq says the land located in front of main campus’s gate has been acquired by the varsity; however, only Rs25m to Rs30m of the NSMC were utilised for the purpose.

Mr Atiq adds that the UoG Syndicate has approved disaffiliation of the NSMC and the colleges of city campus from the UoG.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2021