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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Asst prof post quashed, uncertain days for couple
Ludhiana: Jagmeet Singh and Sukhandeep Kaur were among the brightest and most qualified candidates to have joined Punjab's higher education system in 2021 assistant professor recruitment drive. Both have cracked NET, hold PhDs, and have been immersed in research and teaching for years. In fact, Jagmeet was pursuing Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) at the Central University of Punjab when he landed a job. But today, the couple find themselves staring at a bleak future. "We thought we had stable jobs. We completed our probation last Dec, but the govt never gave us any formal confirmation," Jagmeet, who was posted at Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Govt College in Raikot's Burj Hari Singh, said. He was also deputed to Govt College for Girls here and Govt College in Rara Sahib as physical education faculty during the past three years. Sukhandeep, his wife, also worked on deputation at Govt College for Girls here. Before her appointment through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), she was teaching at RIMT University in Mandi Gobindgarh, alongside pursuing research at Kurukshetra University. Like Jagmeet, she had completed her BEd, NET, PhD, and was hopeful of contributing to Punjab's public education system. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo "We were working with complete dedication. We were not looking for jobs elsewhere because we believed this one was secure," she said. But on July 11, the Supreme Court quashed the entire list of 1,158 assistant professor appointments made by PPSC in 2021, citing procedural lapses, including the absence of interviews. The case had been triggered by some guest faculty members, many of whom, Jagmeet and Sukhandeep allege, "do not even meet the minimum eligibility to teach in schools, let alone colleges." "It's shocking that on the petitions of people with questionable eligibility, the jobs of over a thousand qualified teachers were scrapped," Jagmeet said, adding, "None of us had any role in the procedural choices made by the govt or the commission. If interviews were missing, how is that our fault? They can conduct interviews now, why completely ruin our careers?" The couple had recently taken a home loan after their marriage, assuming their dual incomes would support a stable future. "The full salary of one of us went into EMIs, rent, and fuel costs for deputation travel. We have not saved anything," Jagmeet said, adding, "Now, both of us will be jobless. There's no income in the household anymore. We were the sole earning members." His wife said, "Perhaps the idea behind doing away with interviews altogether was transparency. In 2003, when Ravi Sidhu was the PPSC chairman, the recruitment process was marred by scandal and corruption in interviews. To prevent a repeat, the govt perhaps opted for a written test-based selection only. Now, ironically, that transparency is being punished." "All we want is justice and recognition of our qualifications and work. We didn't cheat the system, we entered through it honestly. And now, we are being punished for no fault of ours," Sukhandeep said.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
College admissions: Subject combination a tough nut for city students to crack
As college admission season picks up pace, many students are grappling with confusion and frustration over the limited subject combinations available at government colleges. Despite securing high marks and qualifying on merit, several students say they are unable to find courses aligned with what they studied in school or wish to pursue, and feel compelled to settle for unwanted subjects. Students waiting for seat allotment for admission into the new academic session at Govt College for Girls in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Manish/Hindustan Times) A student seeking admission at SCD Government College said that while the state's online admission portal lists all possible subject combinations, the ground reality is starkly different. 'When we visit colleges, the subjects we want just aren't offered,' the student said. The problem is not isolated. A student from Arya College said the lack of counsellors leaves students directionless. 'We are forced to take whatever is available because there's no one to guide us,' the student added. Brij Bhushan Goyal from the SCD Government College Alumni Association said the issue hits humanities students hardest. 'Regardless of whether they studied under CBSE, ICSE or PSEB boards, humanities students often can't find their preferred subject combinations. It's unfair to those who have performed well. The higher education department needs to deploy trained counsellors online to help students make informed choices,' he said. College principals and educators attributed the issue to infrastructure and staffing constraints. They explained that subject offerings depend on available faculty and the need to balance workloads. SCD College principal Gursharnjit Singh Sandhu said the National Education Policy (NEP) has introduced flexibility with multiple subject choices, but its full implementation remains difficult. 'We are limited by our infrastructure and timetable capacity,' he said. Suman Lata, principal of Government College for Girls (GCG), echoed this concern. 'To offer more combinations, we would need to revise the timetable significantly. Students usually don't stay in college past afternoon hours, but I've proposed a five-day week with extended hours to allow more flexibility.' High demand for BCom, BA; BSc seats still available With the July 31 admission deadline nearing, many colleges have already filled their seats for popular courses. According to GCG principal Suman Lata, all seats in BA, BCom, BBA, and BCA are full. However, 40 seats are still available in the BSc non-medical stream, and 30 in the medical stream. At Government College (East), BCom and BBA courses are full, while the newly introduced BSc course has seen 20 students enrolled in its first-ever batch. SCD Government College has also nearly filled its BA and BCom seats, but BSc courses still have room. So far, only 96 out of 160 BSc medical seats and 118 out of 210 BSc non-medical seats have been taken.
