In an important decision aimed at accommodating more students in the higher education, the Uttarakhand Government has decided to increase the number of seats in the graduate and post graduate courses in the Government colleges of the State.

In a meeting held at Vidhan Sabha auditorium on Monday, the Minister of State for higher education, Dhan Singh Rawat said that 5 to 10 percent seats in the post graduation courses in the colleges should be increased. Similarly 20 to 40 percent seats in the undergraduate courses of Government colleges would increase. The decision to augment seats in Government colleges would help large number of students who in view of limited seats in Government colleges have to take admissions in the private colleges. To accommodate more students in the Government colleges the higher education department would focus on starting self financed and evening courses.

In the meeting the Minister said that contractual and part time teachers would be appointed on the vacant faculty positions in the Government colleges of the State. These contractual teachers would teach in the colleges till new Assistant Professors from the Public Service Commission are appointed. In the meeting elaborate discussions on problems faced by the students at the time of admissions in the colleges were held. The Minister directed the officials to male rules keeping in mind the objective of providing qualitative higher education to all. He said that arrangement for offline admission should be made in the colleges where seats are still vacant after end of process of admission.

The Minister was informed that this year 95 percent of students have taken online admissions in the Government colleges and for the first time the session has started on time. The Minister claimed that the Uttarakhand has become the first State amend the lyngdoh committee report. He said that a decision to hold students union election in one day has been taken. The Minister added that the formula of 180 days of teaching in the session would be strictly adhered to.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Higher education Ashok Kumar, joint director J C Ghildiyal, Vice Chancellor ( VC) of Sridev Suman University U S Rawat, VC of Kumaon University D K Nauriyal and Principals of different State Government colleges.