Local Printing Industry on the verge of collapse

GNS JAMMU MAY 27 :Right  from the establishment of the Directorate of Distance Education

(DDE), erstwhile Institute of Correspondence Education in the 

University of Jammu about forty years back, local printing presses 

mostly registered as Small Scale Industrial Units have been performing 

the job of printing Study Material published by the said 

Directorate/Institute for different programmes offered by it. There 

has been no problem either on the side of the DDE or on the side of 

printers and every thing was going on smoothly, sometimes, printers 

cooperating with DDE in case of non-availability of 

printing/cover/ledger paper in the University store and hence 

arranging the same from their own sources with the assurance that it 

would be restored / reimbursed by the University later on.

But, with Prof. Desh Bandhu Gupta taking over as Director Distance 

Education a conspiracy was probably hatched to wrench away the 

printing assignment from the local printers and hand over the entire 

production process involved in the publication of Study Material viz 

development of course material as per the syllabus of the University 

of Jammu, including its editing, reviewing etc. and printing as well, 

as per requirement of the University, to one single firm namely Vikas

Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Noida (U.P.). It is not understandable as 

to how one particular publishing house has been rated by Prof. Desh 

Bandhu Gupta as the most competent agency to undertake the job of 

producing the requisite Study Material. What norms did he follow to

nominate this publishing house to do the job ? How are the expert 

Authors involved by the house to develop the course material ? What 

are their qualifications vis-a-vis suitability for writing the

material ? Has Indira Gandhi National Open University or any other 

national level competent body accredited such  Authors ? Has the said 

publishing house obtained any licence/certificate from competent 

national level body related to Distance Education to produce the Study 

Material for Distance Education  programmes run by various 

Universities ?

In this connection, a deputation of local printers met the esteemed 

Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, handed over a memorandum to him 

and interacted as well with him on this issue. It appears that he has 

been biased by some vested interests since the reasons for

out-sourcing the printing job in respect of Study Material published 

by DDE as disclosed by him were not so convincing/plausible. One of 

the reasons, according to him is that the printing paper used for the 

Study Material is of inferior quality. In this case it is pertinent to 

say that the printing paper is purchased by the University on the 

recommendation of the Central Purchase Committee which approves the 

rates and the quality of paper on the basis of tenders. The printing 

paper is supplied to the printers by the DDE itself.

As advised by the Vice-Chancellor, the deputation sought an meeting 

with the Director Prof. Desh Bandhu Gupta as well. He categorically 

told the DDE is out-sourcing the production of Study Material due to 

the sole reason that the Professors of Jammu University and others 

local Prof./Teachers/Authors do not possess expertise in the art of 

writing the Study Material. His these remarks regarding the local 

authors hardly seem credible. In the wake of the University of Jammu 

having been accredited as "A" grade University by NAAC, one cannot 

believe that teachers of such a University are not competent to 

develop the Study Material. However, as asserted by Prof. Desh Bandhu 

Gupta, he had no problem with the local printers. They are performing 

the job satisfactorily and can do the same in future as well. But if 

the printing of Study Material is outsourced as planned by him, the 

infrastructure raised by them after obtaining Bank loans for the 

expansion of their printing units on one hand and execute the 

University job pertaining to printing of Study Material on time bound 

basis on the other, shall be jammed which is likely to become 

worthless, unproductive and unprofitable in future this making it 

difficult for them to repay the Bank loans.

In case if it is finally concluded/decided that expertise of local 

authors is inferior to that of those to be engaged by the said 

publishing house, the DDE may get the course material developed from 

outside but get the same printed locally supplying them quality paper 

for the job. However, it is very strange that on one hand DDE is 

planning to get the production of Study Material out-sources and on 

the other keep the payments of local printers pending for years

together.

It shall be worthwhile to note also that consequent to getting the 

material printed from outside, a good number of skilled  workers shall 

be rendered jobless which would aggravate further the problem of 

unemployment in the Jammu & Kashmir State.

Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting at 

Naugam, Charar-i-Sharief on 21st May 2012, asserted that his Govt. is 

committed to tackle unemployment crisis through a multi-pronged 

strategy.

As such DDE is not expected to adopt steps detrimental to the Govt. 

measures to solve unemployment problem being faced by the State.