Several Universities and colleges has now came up with the concerns that they lack financial resources to manage the digital infrastructure required for uninterrupted online learning. All the educational institutes across the country are shut since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All of these institutes has shifted to online mode of teaching since then. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has although issued a number of Guidelines and advisories related to COVID and online education but has not provided any funds required by the institutes to follow them.
The Vice-chancellor of Anna University, MK Surappa said that Institutes look forward for financial aid to meet the demands for resources required in online learning. Online mode of education is not only limited to virtual classes on meeting apps. Several institutes lacks the facility of high speed internet and even digital devices.
Rajnish Jain, the secretary of UGC has agreed to the fact that the commission has issued no additional financial aid since the last year for its affiliated institutes. All the amount which is allocated per year is pre-decided in the yearly budget of the commision.
He added that the education ministry sources the funds for the commission. The education ministry has issued no additional amount in the view of COVID-19 pandemic and thus the commission itself has no financial resources which can be sanctioned to the institutes. Also, the Ministry seems to have no such plans.
The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has raised concerns that the faculties in colleges are still working risking their lives. A number of teachers has also lost their lives to the virus. Still the government has done nothing more then releasing guidelines. We expect monetary support in this tough times.
Conditions for Private universities has also been difficult. Although they don’t receive funds from the UGC but still they have no source of funding left. Corporate funds are exhausted due to increased expenses for online education and the institutes cannot charge additional fees since the campuses are shut.