Presidency a step closer to becoming university

Updated on: Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Kolkata: The final formality before moving the bill in the assembly to grant autonomy to Presidency College has been completed with chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee putting his stamp of approval on the legislation, said an official at Writers' Buildings. 'The bill will be tabled during the ongoing winter session of the assembly,' an official said.

Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, too, has okayed the proposal. The Presidency University Bill, 2009, specifies that the institution will become a unitary (single-campus) university, on the lines of Jadavpur and Rabindra Bharati. This means there will be no colleges affiliated to Presidency. But the state will keep the option open for an amendment to this provision later.

Higher education minister Sudarshan Roychaudhuri added: 'We are ready to introduce the bill in the House. The government is taking the necessary steps to see that the bill is introduced in the current session of the assembly. The details will only be revealed once it is moved.'

Faculty at Presidency College welcomed the news.'We have been waiting for this for a long time. Now, we will wait with bated breath to see if the bill is passed in the assembly,' said Sanjiv Ghosh, principal, Presidency College. He has been instrumental in pursuing the proposal to turn the college into a university.

Presidency had received partial autonomy three years ago. St Xavier’s College and Ramakrishna Mission, Narendrapur, enjoy independence in terms of curricula, examinations and awarding degrees. Unlike them, the proposed Presidency University will have access to more funds and grants for research and teaching, allowing it to grow into a centre of excellence with support from the Centre.

Autonomy beckons...

The chief minister and governor have given their consent to the proposal to turn Presidency College into a unitary university. The bill will now be tabled in the assembly 

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