Kishtwar Degree College in deplorable condition

Lacks teaching staff, proper accommodation
SHEIKH NASIR
KISHTWAR: It may sound bizarre, but it is true. At a time when the state government takes pride for opening new colleges across the state, thousands of students studying in the Govt Degree College Kishtwar have little reason to appreciate the same.
Established in the 1986 and upgraded with the science stream in the year 2001 the college lacks proper accommodation and adequate teaching staff threatening the career of thousands of young souls, who face stiff competition in all the fields.
The college for which four precious lives have been sacrificed is now a picture of absolute neglect. For near about 1200 students, the college has only eight class rooms and more than 10 posts are lying vacant. At present out of near about 30 sanctioned Gazetted posts more than 10 posts are lying vacant. Various subjects like education, Mathematics, Hindi, Sanskrit, Computer applications, Sociology and Environmental Sciences is without any teacher and the students are at the mercy of God. In most of the streams not only a single regular teacher has been appointed. For Commerce stream against four sanctioned posts there is no regular teacher and same is the case with Sanskirit, Hindi and Sociology stream and the students are left at the mercy of God. Authorities have engaged contractual lecturers who too are being paid very less.
Not only this revenue papers show 91 kanals and 12 marlas land in the name of college where as ground picture is totally different.
Land has been encroached from all sides and is shrinking with every passing day. Earlier at the time of establishment in 1986 only arts classes were made functional in the college and latter in 2001 science streams were sanctioned.
"Our career is threatened and we have no where to go now", said Naveen Sharma student of part third. He further said that either there are no teachers for most of streams and if teacher are there they too are not punctual. Another student of the college Yassir has said that the libarary of the college is witout book and there is no proper seating arrangement. "There is no restriction on entry in the premises, outsiders are oftenly seen roaming within the campus" says Mehnaz Kotwal another student. Once a student of the college and presently a lecturer in GDC Bhaderwah Dr. Tariq Tamkeen says, "Four precious lives were lost for this college, but its functioning makes one to feel that the sacrifice has gone waste". "The authorities should pay their attentions towards this institution in order to save the generation" he added