Choking Autonomy Of Govt. Universities

 

BY R.K.MISRA

Noise numbs , silence is deafening but deeds speak louder than words !

The National Education Policy(NEP) 2020 initiated by the Narendra Modi -led BJP government initiated  large scale restructuring of higher education and granting greater institutional autonomy. The government in his home state, Gujarat  is introducing a Common Universities Act to ensure virtual complete control over its public universities. And the crowning irony is that the NEP is being cited as the reason for the redundancy of the existing system. Published reports confirm that the preliminary exercise has been completed and the Bill will be  tabled in the ensuing session of the Gujarat State Assembly.

Public universities of the state with its Syndicate and Senate have not only provided student and faculty, participation  and thus, both say and guidance , in running of these  important educational entities but have also been stepping stones for participative democracy. Many of the leaders who later rose to prominence in national politics were nurtured in these nurseries. Once the Act takes effect all this will be reduced to a hazy memory in the evolution of the state’s education system.

This is not the first time that the government seeks to tighten its hold over the universities to the detriment of the elected representation process. The Modi government in the state had sought to do so many times but faced determined opposition from  the academic fraternity. With the opposition reduced to mere symbolic levels in the Vidhan Sabha and little visible signs of resistance from the fraternity, the government seems set to have its way.

The Senate-Syndicate system put into place a fairly autonomous mode of governance helmed by the vice-chancellor and the registrar under the distant but looming presence of the chancellor. The government figured only in policy prerogatives and financial prudence. It was a miniature model of a representative structure where members were elected from amongst  students, teachers, principals, non-teaching staff and college managements.

The erosion  actually began in 2009 during the tenure of chief minister Narendra Modi. All the universities set up thereafter  replaced the Senate-Syndicate system with board of governance to which appointments were made by the government.

For now of the 16 government universities in Gujarat only eight of them including the older ones have the representative system. In the new order these  shall stand  replaced by state government appointed representatives. In effect it will mark the  tightening of government control over public owned universities to which numerous affiliated colleges owe allegiance. The change will also mark an enhanced five year term  for vice-chancellors  from the previous three though it does away with the provision of re-appointment.

The draft bill put in the public domain to invite suggestions designates employees including  administrative staff as well as teachers of universities and colleges as ”public servants”. This, thus takes them into the nearest  domain of government servants  which is likely to subject them to the purview of Central Civil Services rules thus prohibiting  participation in political activities. The draft bill has been made available on the website of the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat with August 12 as the deadline for  submitting suggestions.

The political philosophy of the ruling BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for about a quarter century is clearly articulated in the government reasoning stating that “more focus should be on studies, instead of politics and elections “. A published report articulating the state education department’s position enhances the argument that by doing away with the elected bodies, universities  will be able to solve issues without any influences thus ensuring greater focus on institutional activities.

The draft bill points out that while all academic, administrative and financial autonomy will be provided to the university and its affiliated educational institutions as per University Grants Commission(UGC) norms, the state government shall have the powers to issue such directions from time to time, as may be necessary for the compliance of any provision.

It also provisions for  the establishment of a  Gujarat State Commission for Higher education and Development  for “strengthening and regulating higher education and to regulate non-agricultural, non-medical and non-sectoral universities in Gujarat in a more effective manner.

 Similar acts have already been implemented in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

“it is a clear attempt at choking all democratic processes and  autonomy of  government universities into a single regulatory authority totally controlled  by the government”, points out the Gujarat Congress spokesperson. The party is at pains pointing out that 66 per cent of the universities and 78 per cent of the colleges in Gujarat are operating without accreditation of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council(NAAC). Quoting the data tabled by the  government in Parliament, in quantitative terms it would mean that 55 of the 83 universities and 1767 colleges are functioning in Gujarat without this accreditation which is mandated by the UGC.

Strange are the ways of political governance where you divide in the name of uniting and usurp in the guise of autonomy !

This syndicated column was published in the edition dated August 1,2023 of the respective newspapers whose links are provided below.

http://epaper.lokmat.com/articlepage.php?articleid=LOKTIME_NPLT_20230801_6_1

http://odishapostepaper.com/edition/4591/orissapost/page/9