By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun/Nainital, 3 Jul: The High Court has stayed the decision of the Executive Council of HN Bahuguna Garhwal Central University to disaffiliate 10 degree colleges of Dehradun, Haridwar and Tehri districts of Garhwal from the coming academic session. The decision of the High Court to stay the Executive Council’s decision brings great relief to 10 colleges (PG) College. The management of DAV (PG) College, Dehradun had challenged the decision of disaffiliation of ten private colleges in the High Court on which the Uttarakhand High Court stayed the decision of the executive council of the university has put a stay on the decision taken in the Executive Council meeting of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University held on 30 May. The High Court today issued the stay orders following which the affiliation of the colleges is likely to remain intact unless it is challenged in the Supreme Court by the University. The Court has stayed the disaffiliation of DAV (PG) College and not the other colleges so far as the decision of the Executive Council was challenged in the High Court by the management of DAV (PG) College only. However, whether the stay will apply to other colleges as well will be clear only on receipt of the copy of the judgement.
The DAV College management had challenged the decision to disaffiliate ten non-government aided colleges in the High Court. Principal of DAV (PG) College Dr KR Jain today confirmed the decision of the HC. He said that detailed information will be given on receipt of the copy of the order. The High Court had heard the petition of DAV (PG) College Management against termination of affiliation of nine other colleges including DAV College Dehradun from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University.
The Division Bench of Senior Judge Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit has asked the State Government, the Central Government and the Garhwal Central University to submit their reply within three weeks while staying the order to terminate the affiliation. In this case, a writ petition has been filed on behalf of DAV College. The DAV College management has filed a petition saying that the executive council of the Hemvatinandan Bahuguna Garhwal Central University Srinagar terminated the affiliation of DAV College and nine other colleges. In which many big colleges of Dehradun are also included.
The petition filed by DAV (PG) College has stated while ending the affiliation of the colleges, orders had been given by the Executive Council of the HNB Garhwal Central University to remove the names of the colleges from the website of the university, because of which the future of thousands of students has been threatened. The petition further stated that the university terminated the affiliation without giving any opportunity to the colleges concerned to present their opinion in violation of the rules.
It may be pertinent to point here that apart from ending the affiliation of 10 non-government aided degree colleges in the state, the affiliation of 72 private colleges affiliated to the university also hangs in the balance. The executive council of the university had decided to end the affiliation of these colleges from next year. This decision was taken in the context of the joint meeting of the Ministry of Education, State Government and UGC held on 20 June last year. After which the colleges say that they cannot be disaffiliated under the Act passed in 2009 by the university.
In the year 2009, Garhwal University had received the status of Central University. In section 4-F of the Act that was passed at that time, provision was made that the status of the colleges affiliated to the university would remain the same. Because of this provision in the Act, Garhwal University could not get rid of these colleges for a long time.
Senior BJP leader Vivekanand Khanduri has played an active role in the fight against the disaffiliation of the colleges. He has also thanked Garhwal Post for supporting the cause. It may be relevant to note there that Khanduri has himself been the President of DAV (PG) College Students Union.
