Vizianagaram: MANSAS moves to privatise Maharaja College

Vizianagaram: The chairperson of Maharajah Alaknarayan Society for Arts and Science (MANSAS), Sanchaita Gajapathi Raju, reportedly requested the state government to privatise Maharajah College (aided). The decision raised several eyebrows with academicians alleging an attempt to reduce the historical importance of the college.

Maharajah College is one of the oldest institutes in southern India, which strives to educate the downtrodden at nominal fees. It was established as a primary school in 1857 by Vijayarama Gajapathi Raju and was upgrade into high school in 1879 and to college in 1881. The college is spread in 18 acre in the heart of the city with huge buildings, conference halls, library with 50,000 books and laboratory and vast playground. At present, it has 4,000 students, both in Intermediate and graduation courses. The college has 26 aided lectures, and 104 unaided teaching staff, 35 non-teaching, administrative and clerical staff.

The fee structure is very nominal, not imposing any burden on the poor and middle classes and the students can apply for scholarships for hostel facility.

The chairperson, Sanchaita Gajapathi, wrote a letter to the state government to convert it into complete private college. If the private status is given, the institution will not get any funds from the government, and the resultant huge fees likely to make the college unaffordable for poor sections.

Responding to the letter of the chairperson, the special commissioner for collegiate education M M Nayak wrote a note to regional joint director of education to look into the issue and to give a comprehensive report. Academic community fears that if the college gets privatised, it will ruin its glory, the goal and motive behind its establishment.

A senor office holder in the college said, "If college is privatised, the staff will suffer. The fees will be raised to meet the expenditure. Education here would be a costly affair for poor students".

Reddi Sankara Rao, a civil society organisation leader, said, "Privatisation of the historical college is unethical and unlawful. This is a temple of learning for the poor students. The privatisation would definitely ruin the dreams of many students. We will oppose such decisions and fight with the government."