By Matters India reporter

Guwahati: A gathering of principals of Christian colleges from eastern and northeastern zones of India has decried the governmental interference in the management of minority higher educational institutions.

They also resented the treatment minority institutions receive as “intellectual shudras” – needed to serve the elite alone and not the downtrodden people and least of society.

Officials present at the meeting held at Assam Don Bosco University Guwahati on September 1 included Father George Thadathil, president of the All India Association for Christian Higher Education (AIACHE) and its joint secretary Father Emmanuel Kallarackal.

Principles of 13 colleges from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and West Bengal attended the meeting.

AIACHE is a professional association of over 350 colleges and Universities in India.

Responding to discussion initiated by THE AIACHE president on the topic “Your institutional highlights and unique features as against problems and prospects” members did not hesitate to air their anguish prevalent in the present higher education scenario in the country.

Some of the difficulties faced included the problem in paying adequate salaries, retention of able faculty and getting Minority Certificate from the minority directorate of the state or central minority commission.

The members were happy that “The proposed New Education Policy” has been shelved due to the objections raised by institutions and organizations.

They also expressed their satisfaction on THE Modi government’s decision to shelve the proposal to replace University Grant’s Commission (UGC) established in 1953 with proposed Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) which should have featured in the Monsoon session.

Besides taking note of major problem like the structural failure in the University in Manipur, members lamented various kinds of discriminations perpetrated against minority institutions by both Government and affiliating University authorities.

They also underlined the fact that Christian colleges are established in financially poor neighborhood and for the poor.

One such college is 80-year-old Salesian College Darjeeling established in Gorabari village situated at 6,500 feet above sea level some two kilometers from Sonada town.

The members endorsed activities planned for faculty, students and management which included FORTE (Faculty Orientation in Research & Teaching Excellence) scheduled to be held from December 1 to 5 at Salesian College, Sonada. A Holotropic Breathwork session too is scheduled in January 2019.

A leadership program for Christian students of AIACHE member institutions will be held at Assam Don Bosco University, Tepesia in Guwahati and NAAC Coordinators (IQAC) meeting with the help of assessors at Dimapur hosted by Jakama and Patkai Colleges.