The Haryana Higher Education Department has sought detailed information from District Higher Education Officers (DHEOs) regarding the rural or urban status of government colleges across the state.
Sources said the exercise is linked to service rules concerning rural postings of college faculty members. Haryana currently has 187 government colleges.
In a recent communication issued by the office of the Director General Higher Education (DGHE), all DHEOs have been directed to submit a consolidated list categorising government colleges as rural or urban. The department has termed the exercise as “most urgent”.
The format circulated among district authorities seeks details such as whether a college falls within the jurisdiction of a gram panchayat, municipal area, sub-divisional headquarters or district headquarters, along with the date from which the status became applicable.
The DHEOs have also been instructed to specify the rural or urban category of each institution in accordance with the Haryana Education (College Cadre) Group B Service (Amendment) Rules, 2013, and subsequent amendments.
“The department has enclosed a copy of the 2013 amendment rules with the letter. Under these rules, college cadre employees appointed after October 29, 2002 are required to serve in rural areas or small towns for a minimum period of five years. The rules further state that at least three years of rural service are necessary before placement in senior scale and at least two years before award of selection grade,” said sources.
Under the rules, a rural area has been defined as a sub-divisional headquarters where a gram panchayat exists, while a “small town” refers to a municipality that is neither a district headquarters nor a sub-divisional headquarters.
“The exercise is aimed at updating records and ensuring clarity regarding classification of colleges for service-related matters, including rural service obligations of faculty members,” said an official of the Higher Education Department on condition of anonymity.
