Mangaluru: PU college principals and lecturers in Dakshina Kannada district have resolved to boycott II PU evaluation work scheduled to begin across Karnataka on March 22.Announcing the decision at a meeting held here Monday, Naveen Shetty, president of Dakshina Kannada District PU College Principals Association, said the boycott is part of the second phase of a statewide protest. He said lecturers will also launch a protest from March 22, either in front of DC office or mini vidhana soudha, demanding that the govt withdraw its decision to transfer the administrative control of district PU education department’s deputy director’s offices to zilla panchayat and fulfil five other demands.“The govt decided to transfer the administrative control of PU Department at the district level to the CEOs of the respective zilla panchayats. As a result, we will lose the very existence of our department. As decided at the March 8 meeting of Karnataka State Pre-University College Principals’ Association and Karnataka State Pre-University Lecturers’ Association, the protest has entered its second phase. We demand the withdrawal of the file proposing to transfer the administrative control of the deputy directors’ offices of pre-university education,” Shetty said.He said district units of PU college principals, lecturers and private institutions have extended support to the state-wide protest. PU education in Karnataka has been widely acclaimed across the country, with students from other states pursuing their studies here. However, recent govt directives have gradually pushed the department to the point where its identity and existence are being destroyed rather than strengthened, he said.Shetty said any changes to such an important department should be based on the report of an expert committee. Making changes without expert studies on the pros and cons, and without valid reasons, undermines the department’s identity and existence and is regrettable from the perspective of student welfare, he added.PU College Lecturers Association district working president Chandranath M said that, as a mark of protest, lecturers should participate in the evaluation process. “This is a conspiracy to undermine the effective functioning of the department by handing over the administrative control of PU colleges to the gram panchayats,” he said.
