The proposal, however, was opposed by the students, their parents and the managements of several aided colleges stating that the move would render the institutions into just private colleges. They said that move may also lead to a significant increase in the fee at these colleges where currently 95 per cent share of the staffers’ salary was being borne by the government. That same month in 2023, the government put the proposal of takeover of the staffers in abeyance.

The Indian express had filed an application through RTI on December 11, 2023 seeking all information regarding the proposal for the takeover of staff of aided colleges in Haryana. The state higher education department provided the information on January 30 this year.

The information suggests that the higher education department in June 2023 had formed a five-member committee comprising a joint director level officer, two deputy directors and the legal officer of the department to re-consider a previous draft policy related to takeover of the staffers of the aided colleges.

In its report, the committee pointed out to four queries raised by the state finance department in 2020 over a related proposal. One of the queries was: “If the sanctioned posts of assistant/associate professors are withdrawn from the private aided colleges…and adjusted in government colleges, then what will be the fate of students who have already taken admission and have opted that subject in these private aided colleges? It will affect the students adversely as the issue relates to the quality of education in private aided colleges.”
The committee observed that the queries of the finance department are “genuine”. “If only the staff is taken over, it will lead to certain unavoidable hardships. The committee is of the view that to resolve the issue, the aided colleges along with its staff working on aided sanctioned posts, all their assets and liabilities may be taken over with the consent of the managing committees/governing bodies of these colleges,” stated the committee in its report.

While referring to the query of the finance department, the committee said: “If the aided colleges are taken over with staff, assets and liabilities there will be no hardship to the students who have taken admission in these colleges.”

“The committee is of the view that a regulation may be passed in this regard or in the alternative concurrence of HPSC (Haryana Public Service Commission) may be obtained as the HPSC may not have any objection if the colleges are taken over along with assets and liabilities,” mentioned the report. Suggesting for introduction of a law in this regard, the committee in July 2023 recommended that the officials concerned may submit a fresh proposal to the Chief Minister for taking over the aided colleges along with their staff, all assets and liabilities with the consent of management of such colleges.

In October and November 2023, the education department extensively examined the issue. The file notings of the department also mentions that “the matter of taking over of staff of government aided colleges of Haryana was taken up under the directions of higher education minister”.
However, in a meeting between Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and additional chief secretary (higher education) Anand Mohan Sharan on November 28, 2023, a decision was taken to put the matter in abeyance. It was also decided that no further recruitment on teaching and non-teaching posts shall be made in aided private colleges till further orders. The permission already given to the aided colleges to recruit teaching and non-teaching posts also stood withdrawn.

The additional chief secretary mentioned that the proposal has been put in abeyance till the formation for a scheme over free education for girls in private and government colleges.

College Teachers’ Association (CTA) has been pressing for the takeover of the aided colleges’ staff while the management of several colleges has been arguing that once the staff are taken out, they (aided colleges) won’t get grants from bodies like University Grants Commission, Rashtriya Uchchattar

Shiksha Abhiyan and other government departments, making it difficult for them to run these institutes.

According to the official figures, 1.33 lakh students are enrolled in 97 government aided colleges in the state, while there was enrollment of 2.18 lakh students in the state’s 182 government colleges for the current academic session. Self-financed colleges too have an enrollment of nearly 35,000 students.