ABSTRACT
“Temple of knowledge” said schools and colleges are worshipped because of providing eternal knowledge, while the source providers called teachers but, Gone are the days when it is said as per Indian Sanskriti:
Gurur Bhrahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Saakshaat Para Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha
Guru is the Creator (Bhrahma),
Guru is the Preserver (Vishnu),
Guru Deva is Destroyer (Maheshwara)
Guru is the Ablosute Lord himself,
Salutations to that Sri Guru
Today’s scenario is quite opposite, hunger of hard cash converting humans in predators, Whether it is trade, success, relations, growth or competition everyone seems to pull down another successful or having feelings of jealous with another. Similarly we can relate the current picture of country, where whole world is struggling with pandemic, place to place starvation is encamping, Indian economy is also suffering due to lockdown and pandemic but, have a look on the proceedings of schools, colleges, Universities and other institutions, most of them are demanding their whole session fees from each of their students irrespective of unemployment, reduced wages and salaries, stoppage of trade and manufacturing and various others due to havoc of Pandemic. While government is aiding to poor and middle class by providing ration, cooked food, cash support in their bank accounts. It is absolutely fine that that premises are having their own expenditures but due to lockdown where online sessions are running those variable expenditures surely fall down. At present date human survival is lacking mercy, feeling of help, and behaviour of courtesy and culture of Indian tradition which is highly required at this dreadful time.
Keywords: Predator, Encamping, Slump, Arbitrariness, Vitiated, Strapped, Havoc.
INTRODUCTION
A pandemic is explained as “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people”[1]. This pandemic is a disease outbreak which spreads across various countries and continents, which effects a lot to the survival of planet, this horrible disease resulted to inflated ratio of deaths, reoccurrence of epidemic, unemployment, starvation, slump of economy of various countries and vitiated side-effects of disease. On the other chapter the picture is going on smoothly after neglecting all the pains of poor public, Rich knowledge dealers still focussing on merchant proceedings and trading despite of helping their indeed connections and the needy ones. Even since years ago, Schools, Colleges and Universities are raising their fees rapidly as this is the arbitrariness of private sector in spite of ignoring destruction of society somewhere. Various universities and colleges are maintaining online classes and awareness programmes too. Number of strapped, which are not enough strong financially demanded their fees refund but got denied. In the same context Honourable Supreme Court, on Friday (May 8) disposed of petition of students from private colleges seeking fee rebate in the wake of corona virus lockdown that led to loss of jobs and salary deduction of many parents[2]. No single supporter is standing here to support these proceedings which must be prohibited, as planet is segregated into various classes of standard of living: High class, Middle class and poor people. Who will be the almighty for them? High class can bear but what about the remainder class of survival and even the concept of global justice is being vanished.
BIFURCATION TO BE ANSWERED
The apex court i.e. Supreme Court asked the petitioners advocate how the colleges will run if it failed to receive fees. From where will the colleges give salary to their employees, the court asked[3]. As a man of ordinary prudence, lacking twice a day flatbread due to terrible pandemic then why should a common man tolerate illegitimate expenditure. Let us have a look over the segregation of various mandatory and negligible expenditures of colleges inform of fees, when the classes are conducting online even:
Mandatory (Should be): Negligible (Should not be):
Rent of Premises Fuel Charges
Minimum Electricity Charges Generator Fee
Insurance Charges Transportation Fee
Reasonable Tuition Fee Examination Fee
Repair and Maintenance Fee
Library Fee
Sports and Activity Fee
Curricular Activity Fee
Laboratory Fee
Others
Does not above segregation is absolutely answerable against the petition filed to Honourable Supreme Court? After charging reasonable amount of fees refund must be provided and fee chargeable criteria should be same till pandemic. It has been seen on the social media that few institutions were misbehaving with the parents asking for their rights.
THE GUARDIAN
Previously, Supreme Court has announced education as distinct constitutional goal; the education is not a trade but a charity. According to UGC Act, 1956, the University Grants Commission (UGC) headed and considers itself the regulator of education system in India and assigns the responsibility of protecting the students. All the examinations and researches are conducted under control of UGC further it maintains the standard of education. Section 12A of the Act[1] provides power to the UGC for the regulation and scaling of fee schedule charged by the Schools, Colleges and universities for the sake of benefit of society. UGC is like the guardian angel in the eyes of students but UGC failed to protect the rights of students and violated Article 26 of Constitution “Right to Access Education”[2]. Even at the present date few Universities announced to conduct offline examination from August[3] in the University premises while the University is in containment zone due to pandemic and still UGC is ignoring havoc of pandemic corona.
On the contrary, really being guardian angel Indian government is helping door to door by providing food, raw material, requisites, cash support and others. Apparently, global glimpse of Advanced Nations represents accommodation of secondary education from respective governments as usual activity and so the same during the punch of pandemic. In such times of stress, when mankind came forward to help each other in different possible ways, its time to create balance among different standard of living for the sake of humanity.
CONCLUSION
Contrarily, Mr. Anand Kumar, Indian Mathematics educator in Bihar in 2002, coaches underprivileged students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)[4] and obviously without expecting any consideration in return, while the current picture of today’s society showing the ‘knowledge temples turning into trade’, Here, there is a popular maxim:
“Self- realization of absolute truth is knowledge”
(Nirpeksh satya ki swanubhuti hi gyan hai)
It is absolutely fine to ask for reasonable charges which are expended for the betterment of students and for the purpose of their study material expenses but when there is horrible situation facing by the society including the whole world; it is the fundamental obedience of each citizen to carry out their duty towards nation. To aiding others must be the obligatory duty of each survival of the country. Notwithstanding the colleges and universities were already raising their fees day after day including in resultant expenses. They can charge reasonable fees instead of they are asking for full scheduled fees as per previous structure. They people, big money makers have to provide education even free of cost to under privileged people so that global justice can be followed and a note of relaxation can be provided to this class of individuals. Even in regard this UGC, Government and other protectors of education system are deaf and mute now. Louder voice about it must be raised and Honourable Supreme court should take favourable actions in concern.
“Padhega India, tabhi to badhega India”
[1] https://www.who.int>volumes
[2] https://zeenews.india.com (News telecast on Channel Zee news on May,8th 2020)
[3] Ibid (above)
[4] The University Grants Commission Act 1956 (UGC)
[5] The Constitution of India
[6] Regular circulating newspaper (Amar Ujala July, 23rd 2020)
(The author is a Practicing Advocate based out of Uttar Pradesh Pilibhit, Views expressed are personal)
Submitted by:
Advocate Surabhi Maheshwari
M.Com, LL.M, CA- ATC
Pilibhit (U.P)
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