SAHIWAL: The future of over 270 rural students at the Government Associate College for Girls (GACG), Chellianwala, Mandi Bahauddin, has been jeopardised with its sudden merger with the University of Rasul (UoR).

The Punjab Cabinet’s decision, formalised through a Higher Education Department (HED) notification on Nov 14, was implemented without consultation with students, parents, faculty and other stakeholders.

According to the notification (copy available with Dawn), the college, along with its assets and infrastructure—has been transferred to the university under the UoR Mandi Bahauddin Act, 2018. All students have been shifted to university while regular and contractual staff have been asked to report to the HED for reassignment as the university is an autonomous body.

This abrupt move has sparked distress across nearby villages, including Rasul Lokari, Khokkhra, Chak Maamoori, Mongh, Chillianwala, Majainwala, Amrakalan, Kot Baloch and Shahana Lok, whose girls were enrolled in the college. The nearest alternative colleges in Dinga and Mandi Bahauddin city require daily travel of 15 to 20km.

The GACG was inaugurated in 2023 by the chief secretary near his native town of Rasul, with the stated aim of empowering girls through accessible education. The college had begun to deliver on that promise as in the 2025 board exams, it achieved a 96.5pc pass rate—ranking first among colleges in the district. The students were enrolled in pre-medical, pre-engineering, ICS, Arts, Humanities, and Economics. Now, the merger threatens to undo that progress.

While the HED notification claims students will be transferred “without interruption or prejudice to their academic programs,” the reality is different as daily commuting via costly and unreliable transport is impractical for most students who may discontinue their education.

Equally troubling is the fate of GACG’s 23 teaching and non-teaching staff who, as HED employees, cannot serve under the UoR.

The Directorate of Colleges, Gujranwala, has instructed them to seek transfers to other public colleges.

Local educationists allege that the chief secretary spent approximately Rs17bn between 2021 and 2023 to convert the century-old Government College of Technology, established in 1913, into the Punjab Technology University Rasul. However, after the university reportedly failed to function effectively as a technical institution, an additional Rs7bn was allocated to rebrand it as the University of Rasul (UoR). This brings the total public investment to a staggering Rs24bn.

Now, in a controversial move to bolster UoR’s viability, a thriving rural girls’ college—housed in a purpose-built facility worth Rs240m—is being merged into the university.

Critics argue that instead of merging functional female educational institutions, UoR should develop its own academic infrastructure and preserve the autonomy of existing colleges serving marginalised rural communities.

Punjab Higher Education Minister Rana Sikander told Dawn that students would not be relocated from the current building but he offered no clarity on staffing.

The chief secretary’s office, when contacted through email, referred the matter back to HED.

Sources confirmed that Mrs. Touqeer Fatima, Principal of GACG, has formally requested the Directorate of Colleges Gujranwala to withdraw the merger.

PPLA Central President Faiza Rana and divisional president Anwar Variya condemned the college merger with UoR.

Faiza said it’s not a service of education to merge colleges into universities. With the future of 270 female students and their educators hanging in the balance, the community leaders are urging the government to reconsider the decision and uphold the promise of accessible education and dignity for rural girl students.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2025