By: Zubair Ahmad Laghari
Government College Hyderabad is located beside the left Bank of Pheleli Canal. Its Genesis dates back to 1st October 1917 with the title of Sindh National Arts College Hyderabad which was contemplated by international theosophical Society which had its second President Dr. Annie Besant, a well known educationist, orator, political and social figure of Indian subcontinent.
Since there was no college in Hyderabad Sindh the students who wanted to continue for higher education, had to go far off cities like Bombay. The first response of Huge contribution appeared from a youth of Sindh with the donation of Rs.20000/. on a condition to establish a college in Hyderabad Sindh. Among the other Elite of the city of Hyderabad there was another prominent figure Diwan Dayaram Gidumal, a judge as a profession. He was main pillar in the establishment of a college in Hyderabad Sindh. So, Dr. Earnest wood was the secretary to National Educational Trust head to head the collection of the amount the people of Hyderabad Sindh had donated around £5000. The donation amount was quite enough to establish an Institute. Seth Pertab Rai Mangher Singh and few others donated their best chunk of 64 acres of cultivated land for this noble cause.
To pay tribute to Dr.Annie Besant the college was inaugurated on 1st October 1917 on her birthday anniversary. Dr wood was appointed its founder principal the college was initially funded through National Educational Trust. later on in 1921, the college with all its assets was handed over to Diwan Metharam Darmada Trust(DMD) ran by Diwan Dayaram Gidumal who donated the amount of Rs. 100000/. for the affiliation of the college with Bombay University. On the death of Diwan Dayaram Gidumal the college was renamed after him as DG National College Hyderabad.
The college began its journey as intermediate Arts College. But in June 1927 BA (Hons) in English, History, Economics and Philosophy were also offered.
In 1934 intermediate science classes were also started which made the college a science college as well.
In 1940 there was commencement of M.A classes in Sindhi Literature. In 1945 classes of B.Sc were started in Zoology, Botony, and Chemistry. Later on due to political termoil in the subcontinent the college was closed and its faculty and other staff migrated from Hyderabad to other parts of India leaving behind the deserted Institute.
The second phase of this historic educational institution began after the establishment of Pakistan. The deserted DG National College Hyderabad due to this voluntary exodus of its original owners who certainly had thought of coming back but could never come back who had taken all the documents of this great and historical college along with them. So, after the independance of Pakistan D.G.National College Hyderabad was taken over by Government of Sindh and it decided to reopen it on 21st june 1948 with the title D.G. National Government College Hyderabad. Prof.Dr. Adrian Duarte was appointed as its principal, who had to re-establish the college from scratch.
There was co educational till 1952, as in those days there was no college for the girls. On 9th April 1949 the college was renamed as Government Arts College Hyderabad letter on 7th March 1951 the college was renamed as Government College Hyderabad. Letter on 7th March 1951 the college was renamed as Government College Hyderabad through a government resolution and was allowed to teach upto B.Sc in affiliation with Sindh University.
Government College Hyderabad has the honour of first starting of Post-Graduate classes in Arts and Science of Sindh University with the commencement of M.A(Urdu and English) and M.sc (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics) in 1991 and later M.Sc in Zoology and Botany in 1993. An other milestone was commencement of Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) in 2002.
In 1988 Alumni Association was founded by its old boys which later on proved to be the main stake holder in the upgradation process from college to University.
Later on 12th April 2016, a resolution regarding the upgradation of Government College Hyderabad was passed unanimously in Sindh Assembly. It was put forwarded by engineer Sabir Kaim Khani, MPA of MQM.
Centennial celebrations started a year before on 1st October 2016, and in one of the seminars on 9th October 2017 presided over by CM Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah announced the upgradation of the status of Government College Hyderabad as University. Hence Government College University Hyderabad act 2018 was issued on 21st May 2018 by Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
Thus confering upon official status to Government College University Hyderabad on 16th March 2018, 100 acres of land was allotted to establish a Campus at ganjo Takar, Deh Gujo, Hyd- Badin road Hyderabad.
Prof. Dr. Nasiruddin Shaikh (Principal GC Hyderabad) was appointed as Acting vice chancellor on 13th February 2019.
This is mere the story describing the role of individuals who played any role in construction of this great Institute called Government College Hyderabad. Now it is the turn of the story of ruin of this historic institute to be described here. As soon as the HEC sanctioned the grant for the university, its think tank decided to get the cost centre of this historical college called Government College Hyderabad permanently closed and soon it was remove from the list of colleges on the official website of the college education department. The teaching faculty and non teaching staff started to disperse and in order to avoid being dislocated to distant places they set priority to be posted in the nearby colleges or cities.
My question is that was it the purview of the university to write to the Secretary Finance to close the cost centre of Government College Hyderabad?
My second question is that why the university does not give all the employees working in Government College Hyderabad the benefit of technical deputation? as it is mentioned in the Government College University Hyderabad Act 2018 in its point number 7 describes as follows ” those faculty members who opt to continue their services with the College Education Department Government Of Sindh will remain and work at Government College University Hyderabad with existing pay scale / designation, terms and conditions of service subject to conditions but a proposal may be sent to Government appropriate forum/authority not to disclose any of them or they may be allowed to remain and work at Government College University Hyderabad on technical deputation, without deputation allowance, and their seniority, promotion, financial, retirement and service benefits may be intect with their parents department i,e College Education Department, Government of Sindh under the relevant Sindh civil servants rules.”
My third question is the same why we are not given technical deputation as the office of vice chancellor had issued the circular on 12-04-2019 which mentions as follows, ” It is to inform all concerned that a copy of Terms and Conditions proposed by Advisory Council Government College University Hyderabad for opting University or College Education Department Government of Sindh , according to section 4(3) of Givernment College University Hyderabad Act 2018.” How can they shut fown the college when they always said that the one’s who opt for College Education Department Government Of Sindh will always be working with us on technical deputation.