Higher Edu Dept must answer some uncomfortable questions

The revelation that two government degree colleges in Jammu and Kashmir have zero student enrolment, while dozens more function with fewer than fifty students, is an indictment of a system that continues to pour resources into institutions that students are increasingly rejecting. When Government Degree College Baghi Dilawar Khan and GDC Chattisinghpora have no takers, when institutions like the Government College of Education, M.A Road, enrol just fourteen students, the question is no longer about access but about relevance. The government’s response is telling. “Inadequate to sustain a viable academic environment”, it admits, placing these colleges under the administrative oversight of neighbouring institutions. But administrative oversight does not address the core crisis: why are students voting with their feet? The centralised admission portal and the Fourth-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) are cited as corrective measures, yet the data speaks for itself—24 colleges with fewer than 100 students, 14 with fewer than 50, and a proliferation of institutions with enrolments in the double digits. The Higher Education Department must answer some uncomfortable questions. First, what was the viability assessment when these colleges were established? Were demographic trends, student demand, and geographical accessibility genuinely studied, or was political expediency the primary driver? Second, why does the rationalisation of subject offerings to align with student demand remain reactive rather than proactive? A college cannot wait for years of empty classrooms to recognise that its curriculum does not match the aspirations of the students it was meant to serve. Third, what is the plan for these moribund institutions? Continuing to fund and staff colleges with negligible enrolment is a drain on resources that could strengthen genuinely viable institutions. Consolidation—merging colleges, repurposing infrastructure, or even closure where no demand exists—must be considered, however politically unpalatable. The current arrangement of placing non-viable colleges under the charge of distant institutions is a temporary fix that addresses neither the students’ needs nor the public exchequer’s efficiency. The government must conduct a comprehensive audit of all degree colleges, assessing not just enrolment numbers but the return on investment. Where colleges consistently fail to attract students, the infrastructure must be repurposed—perhaps as vocational training centres, skill development hubs, or community colleges offering courses aligned with local economic needs. The days of building colleges as trophies must end. Higher education is too precious a resource to be wasted on empty benches.