(Photo: canva)
Kollam: Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD), the autonomous educational institution under the Kerala Government, is struggling to make ends meet. Due to the financial woes, IHRD has failed to distribute salary to the staff from November onwards. As engineering colleges under IHRD recorded a steep fall in admission rates, most of the institutions are facing a major financial crisis.
The salary is pending for permanent and temporary employees in 87 institutions including engineering colleges, polytechnics, applied science colleges, and technical high secondary schools under IHRD.
Currently, many institutions are struggling to meet the daily expenditure due to decreasing number of students enrolling in these institutions. For instance, no student joined for electronic and communication course at Kottarakara engineering college this academic year. In Poonjar, only four students joined for electronics course.
However, seats were filled in Thrikkakara Model Engineering College and Chenganoor. Whereas only 50 per cent of occupancy is recorded in nine engineering colleges. Some colleges recorded admissions of students below 100.
Amidst this financial crisis, the government is only providing a grant of Rs 20 crore to IHRD. However, the colleges need Rs 12.5 crore to disburse the salary in a month. Further, the revenue generated through students' fees could only be used for a few months.
Many of the institutions are surviving with the help of loans allocated by the government. Meanwhile, the government has informed IHRD that they should find their source of income to overcome this situation.