Srinagar/ “No food when it is lot needed and no need, when it is present in lots”. This is like happening with a professional college “Government Physical Education College Ganderbal” most neglected among all professional /educational institutions by the State government. For last many years when the college was struggling to get a post-graduate course introduced, it never succeeded and now when it is struggling to get rid of manifold problems and encroachments, it gets a call for introduction of a two-year M.P.Ed course.
Masters degree in the physical education has been authorized and approved by University of Kashmir vide notification No. F(Intro-M.P Ed) Acad /KU dated 09.01.2008, which was publicized by the college vide notification No:COPE/GBL/758-760 dated 16.02.2008 according to which all the B.P.Ed, fresh and in-service aspirants can submit their admission forms up to Feb. 27, 2008 at University of Kashmir for getting admission in newly introduced two-year post-graduate in physical education called M.P.Ed, For acquiring the masters degree or higher qualification in the subject, degree students of the State had to otherwise go to other States of the country.
The only Physical College of the Sate was established in 1976, initially at Naseem Bagh campus of Kashmir University at Hazratbal and later shifted to its present location, Ganderbal in 1986. Earlier the college was offering Certificate course in physical education and then as soon as it was shifted to Ganderbal, a degree course was introduced first time in the state.
Situated 20 kilometers to the north
of Srinagar, on the right banks of Nalla-sindh, under the dense shadows of Chinar trees, the college was offering one year post graduate course in Physical Education till yesterday with the annual intake capacity of eighty students, which earlier was only fifty. The university is likely to increase its intake capacity to ninety from this year with the introduction of Masters Degree (MP Ed).
The present agony with this Institution is that its space has got squeezed since government Degree College was introduced in its premises in 2003.The students of twin college indulge into the Physical college premises area due to which its area got squeezed by trespassing of degree college students in the practical fields resulting undue interference in the practical training. The college was initially spread over 400 kanals of land whereas presently only 250 Kanals are in possession. The staff strength of the college is forty including six lecturers, two specialists, one qualified coach and one lady warden. “We need two more lecturers by introducing new M.P.Ed course and urgent government attention to get the degree college vacated from our premises” Says young Dr. Hartej Singh Bali, Principal of the College. Dr. Hartej has completed his BP Ed from this very college in 1986, from the first batch that completed the degree from the State and has done Masters from Punjab University Chandigarh. Dr. Hartej has done his M.Phil on the subject “ affect in the job role of physical teachers during turmoil in the State” When asked about the qualification needed to get admission in BP Ed, Dr Hartej said that although a graduate in any discipline with sports background, played at least one National, can apply, those simple graduates can also be entertained who can qualify physical, sports efficiency and different skill tests. “We receive 300-400 applications every year in the month of Feb-March which gets scrutinized by Department of youth services and sports (DYSS) for the selection of candidates in 60:20 ratio in respect of fresh and in-service candidates respectively” said Dr. Hartej.
He further reveals that the main purpose of the college is to produce physical education teachers which can serve in schools to impart proper physical and sports education among students so as to help in building a healthy and characteristic future of the nation.
Of late Rashtriya Riffles 5th battalion has agreed to provided financial assistance in building a sports stadium for the college at Gadoora village, five kilometers away from the college and the government is planning to shift the whole college to that place for which JKPCC is likely to undertake the five crore rupees project to build the new infrastructure for the college at the proposed 300 kanals land at Gadoora Ganderbal. But how long it will take to implement the future plans, no body knows.
Whereas the students from all over the state are coming to this college which is felt already remote by the students, its forceful stretch to a more remote area will fetch more difficulties for the aspirants. Being a boarding college with co-education, the college is not providing facilities of its standard to the students. They face shortage of power supply and drinking water, having no heating arrangements, they feel cooler in the buildings which are shadowed by age old chinar trees and there are no adequate reading rooms or a library with sufficient reading material. The college seems in a miserable condition, less cared by the concerned authorities and hardly managed by its young and energetic staff, the advent of a higher education course will add to its worries and a louder cry will be heard by the every concerned with more bitter noise.
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