In terms of faculty development, UGC initiated steps such as FIPs, summer schools, refresher courses, orientation programs, workshops, etc. It is pertinent to refer to the article entitled SMA: Its Understanding of Education (GC 8th September 2022) by Prof. Gull Mohammad Wani. He writes, “Twenty-one college teachers have been delegated to various universities, including JNU, in the country under the UGC M Phil/PhD teacher scholarship program.” This indicates that HED has made an effort to raise the college teacher benchmark.
It is interesting to note that Prof. Mohammad Yousaf, then Principal SP College, wrote a letter to the then Hon’ble Chief Minister expressing his concerns that the majority community was not being given adequate representation. The letter was personally delivered by Prof. Ali Mohammad Bhat (Physics) to the Hon’ble Chief Minister in his office chamber at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.
Prof Bhat reported that the letter was personally delivered by him to the Honorable Prime Minister, but he was told that due care and representation would be given to all communities in the out-of-state delegation of teachers. Accordingly, college teachers including Prof. Ali Mohammad Bhat (Physics), Prof. Bansi Lal Fotehdhar (English) and others were delegated in 1979-80 for higher studies leading to the award of research degrees. It is also interesting to note that all of the majority community teachers returned with M Phil/PhD degrees.
Previously, in 1976-77, Education Commissioner Prof. Saty Bushan recommended some college teachers for deputation at intervals for their out-of-state higher studies to please the Chief Minister. Professors such as Saradara Akhter (Pol. Sc.), Mahmooda Bashir (Economics), Ghulam Rasool Najar (Pol. Sc.), Syed Wajahat Hassan Andrabi (Physics), Muzaffar Ahmad Khan (Botany), Abdul Hamid Zargar (Education) and others , all members of a particular community were recommended for deputation out of state for the pursuit of higher studies. Prof. Bushan accompanied the team and visited the Honorable Prime Minister’s private office.
He asked them to meet him at Srinagar Civil Secretariat for a group photo, Dr. Muzaffar Ahmad Khan during a conversation with him on the subject.
Meanwhile, it is also worth noting that the then Venerable Prime Minister (SMA) sent a large number of university teachers in the early fifties, including Prof. Mohammad Sultan Wantt, Prof. MR Puri, Prof. Jan Mohammad, Prof. Apurab Somnath, Prof. ud -Din Ahmad and others for higher studies at leading universities outside the country.
In addition, some teachers have been delegated to the University of Leads (UK) to obtain a Diploma in Education (Dip. Ed.). These included Prof. Ghulam Rasool Dhar, Prof. Noor-ud-Din, Prof. Abdul Aziz Bhat and others. This reflects that the state government has always been interested in enhancing the value of college teachers by seconding them to postgraduate studies and summer schools outside of J&K and out of the country.
