Teachers' body resents panel on higher education

Updated on: Sunday, December 18, 2011

Taking strong exception to the proposed creation of an authority on higher education under the direct control of the state government, the Federation of University Teachers' Associations of Bihar (Futab) has urged the authorities concerned to reconsider the issue in the larger interest of higher education.

Futab working president Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha and general secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh described the proposed legislation as an attempt to curtail the autonomy of universities. They recalled that the superseded Inter University Board (IUB) was working well as a link between the chancellor, universities and the state government. All the three stakeholders used to refer academic, administrative and statutory issues to the IUB for seeking its advice, framing of drafts etc, with the final order being passed by the chancellor on the advice of the government.

The board had all the vice-chancellors, state higher education principal secretary and director, and a nominee of the UGC as its member and a well-known academic as its chairman. This body, they pointed out, was functioning like a commission on higher education, on the same pattern as has been recommended by the UGC for every state.

They said academics fail to understand why at all the IUB was scrapped if a much inferior authority is proposed to be constituted through the university amendment bills passed by the legislature in its just-concluded session. They pointed out that the erstwhile IUB formed part of Section 41 of the 1976 Act. The proposed authority has been introduced through the same section, but its composition has not been detailed. As an interim arrangement, the state government will exercise all the functions of the authority. They apprehended that with this provision in place, university autonomy will continue to remain mortgaged for years to come.

However, Futab leaders have welcomed the proposal of constituting a search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors. The composition of the committee is also trustworthy, with the only objection that a working VC should have been made a member of the said committee. The proposed amendment is also silent about the procedure to be followed for the appointment of pro-VC, who often officiates for a long time as VC, they said.

They have urged for a regular dialogue between the representatives of teachers and the government, if the government sincerely wants to improve the university system. The proposed legislation does not provide anything that may help increase the gross enrolment ratio to 20% or bring qualitative change in higher education, they added.

Times of India

Teachers' body resents panel on higher education

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