Cash worries for Colleges as GU sits on Rs. 1.5 Crore
Money collected from students for cultural events lies unused while colleges struggle with budgets during GU youth festival
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 22, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror Cover Story)
Host colleges end up spending lakhs from their own pockets during the youth festsThe Gujarat University is sitting on Rs 1.5 crore meant for cultural affairs, even as colleges hosting the on-going youth festival are crying for more funds to organise the event.Every year, colleges hosting youth festival are granted Rs 1.5 lakh (rural area) and Rs 1.25 lakh (urban sector) by the Gujarat University.
The college hosting the final events in the youth festival get Rs 2.5 lakh.But host colleges end up spending almost Rs 5 lakh during the festival. And it’s not the University funds that are being used to organise events.The youth festival is organised exclusively from the students’ money.
There are around 2.5 lakh registered students of the Gujarat University, who pay Rs 40 each per year towards students’ welfare fund. The University pockets 50 per cent of the money collected for the students’ welfare fund while the rest is distributed equally among the University-affiliated colleges.
Students perform at the inauguration of the university youth festivalThe idea of collecting money from the students is to ensure at least one rocking event is held, but tight-fisted University not willing to release more funds has angered the colleges across the state, who shy away from hosting the festival.Said D P Raval, principal P D Pandya Women’s College, Ghodasar, which is one of the festival hosts this year, “The events at our college have concluded and we ended up spending Rs 4 lakh. The University gave us Rs 1.5 lakh, which we spent only on food. Then there was additional cost of trophies, sound system, stage, payment to judges. The University should seriously think about hiking the grant for the festival.”Agreed Dr Mahipatsinh Chavda, principal of L D Arts College. He said, ”In 2005, we were one of the hosts of the youth festival. At that time, we spent Rs. 3.5 lakh, and we got a grant of Rs 75,000. The University has money for this project, so why is it not releasing the fund? To make the festival vibrant, each host college will need at least Rs 3 lakh.”The Gujarat University’s vice chancellor, Dr Parimal Trivedi, agreed University had Rs 1.5 crore budgeted for cultural affairs lying unused. He said, “The grant was increased to Rs 1.5 lakh per host college only at my recommendation. Earlier, it was just Rs 75,000. We are thinking of utilising more money for youth festival. But we need some time.”Sources in the University, however, confirmed there is no dearth of money but the desire to spend towards cultural affairs is simply not there. Said a University official, “Way back in 2001, the auditors said almost Rs 40 lakh meant for cultural events were lying unused. That money has swelled to Rs 1.5 crore now. The University can easily give Rs 5 lakh to each host college and have a grand youth festival.”This year, M G Science Institute (Ellisbridge north zone), S M Patel Institute of Commerce (Ellisbridge south), P D Pandya Women’s College of Commerce (Ahmedabad city), Shri Natwarsinhji Arts and Science College (Vadodara, South zone-1), I V Patel College of Commerce (Nadiad, South zone-II) and H K Arts College, Ashram Road (inter-zonal hosts) are hosting the festival.Said B N Shah, principal, M S Patel Institute of Commerce (Gujarat Law Society group), “Every year, we budget Rs 2.5 lakh for cultural events, including youth festival. It will help if the University increases the grant to at least Rs 2.5 lakh towards cultural events.”
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 22, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror Cover Story)
Host colleges end up spending lakhs from their own pockets during the youth festsThe Gujarat University is sitting on Rs 1.5 crore meant for cultural affairs, even as colleges hosting the on-going youth festival are crying for more funds to organise the event.Every year, colleges hosting youth festival are granted Rs 1.5 lakh (rural area) and Rs 1.25 lakh (urban sector) by the Gujarat University.
The college hosting the final events in the youth festival get Rs 2.5 lakh.But host colleges end up spending almost Rs 5 lakh during the festival. And it’s not the University funds that are being used to organise events.The youth festival is organised exclusively from the students’ money.
There are around 2.5 lakh registered students of the Gujarat University, who pay Rs 40 each per year towards students’ welfare fund. The University pockets 50 per cent of the money collected for the students’ welfare fund while the rest is distributed equally among the University-affiliated colleges.
Students perform at the inauguration of the university youth festivalThe idea of collecting money from the students is to ensure at least one rocking event is held, but tight-fisted University not willing to release more funds has angered the colleges across the state, who shy away from hosting the festival.Said D P Raval, principal P D Pandya Women’s College, Ghodasar, which is one of the festival hosts this year, “The events at our college have concluded and we ended up spending Rs 4 lakh. The University gave us Rs 1.5 lakh, which we spent only on food. Then there was additional cost of trophies, sound system, stage, payment to judges. The University should seriously think about hiking the grant for the festival.”Agreed Dr Mahipatsinh Chavda, principal of L D Arts College. He said, ”In 2005, we were one of the hosts of the youth festival. At that time, we spent Rs. 3.5 lakh, and we got a grant of Rs 75,000. The University has money for this project, so why is it not releasing the fund? To make the festival vibrant, each host college will need at least Rs 3 lakh.”The Gujarat University’s vice chancellor, Dr Parimal Trivedi, agreed University had Rs 1.5 crore budgeted for cultural affairs lying unused. He said, “The grant was increased to Rs 1.5 lakh per host college only at my recommendation. Earlier, it was just Rs 75,000. We are thinking of utilising more money for youth festival. But we need some time.”Sources in the University, however, confirmed there is no dearth of money but the desire to spend towards cultural affairs is simply not there. Said a University official, “Way back in 2001, the auditors said almost Rs 40 lakh meant for cultural events were lying unused. That money has swelled to Rs 1.5 crore now. The University can easily give Rs 5 lakh to each host college and have a grand youth festival.”This year, M G Science Institute (Ellisbridge north zone), S M Patel Institute of Commerce (Ellisbridge south), P D Pandya Women’s College of Commerce (Ahmedabad city), Shri Natwarsinhji Arts and Science College (Vadodara, South zone-1), I V Patel College of Commerce (Nadiad, South zone-II) and H K Arts College, Ashram Road (inter-zonal hosts) are hosting the festival.Said B N Shah, principal, M S Patel Institute of Commerce (Gujarat Law Society group), “Every year, we budget Rs 2.5 lakh for cultural events, including youth festival. It will help if the University increases the grant to at least Rs 2.5 lakh towards cultural events.”
