Bengal’s university bill draws flak
December 24th, 2011 - 8:27 pm ICT by IANSKolkata, Dec 24 (IANS) West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress-led government has passed a university bill in its bid to free higher education from alleged political interference, but the legislation has raised apprehensions in some political circles about its real purpose.
The West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2011, was passed in the assembly Friday, with state Education Minister Bratya Basu advocating that it would bring more transparency in the appointments of vice chancellors and pro-vice chancellors of the state varsities and would provide a free hand to the academics in taking decisions.
But the opposition is unimpressed.
“It is an immature allegation that we had politicised education and this bill will free it from politics. It is nothing but a farce,” said Sudarshan Roy Choudhury, former state higher education minister and CPI-M leader.
“If they are ruling out students from bodies like courts and councils of the universities, then they should also ban students from entering universities. How will they stop political associations of principals and teachers?”
According to the bill, the vice chancellors (VC) would be appointed by a three-member search committee. The bill has empowered the chancellor or governor to remove the VC but has provided the vice chancellors the final say in teacher recruitment.
“The bill has been drawn up in haste just like other decisions taken by this government. There should have been more intense discussions on the bill. It has curbed the democratic rights of the students,” said Kshiti Goswami, state secretary of Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
The students, both at graduate and post-graduate levels, will be accommodated in the lower bodies like academic council but there will be no representation of students in the higher decision making bodies.
“Though theoretically the bill is good, technically there are lot of questions. It is a known fact that whoever becomes a VC or pro-VC gets close to the ruling party. Then how can you depoliticise education?” asked Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhuri, a political scientist.
- Kerala varsity not to contest Lokayukta ruling on jobs - Jan 09, 2012
- Age limit for vice chancellors in Haryana raised to 68 - Sep 07, 2010
- Six held for killing Kolkata varsity official - Jul 29, 2011
- Bengal students ragged on Facebook - Aug 03, 2011
- Government hopeful of passing important education bills - Apr 22, 2012
- Vacancies to be filled at Kolkata's Presidency University - May 26, 2011
- To protest or not to protest - Panjab University debates - May 04, 2011
- Indefinite shutdown of ICFAI University in Tripura - Jan 31, 2012
- Mamata's bid to de-politicise education (West Bengal Newsletter) - Nov 05, 2011
- Delay in Jammu varsity chief's appointment rocks assembly - Mar 11, 2011
- IGNOU signs pact with Chinese varsity - Oct 05, 2011
- Deoband chief offers to quit over Modi remarks row - Jan 26, 2011
- Two Bengal professors asked to explain 'anti-government comments' - Jun 08, 2012
- Oz to review strict student visa program following drastic drop in Indian enrolments - Dec 17, 2010
- Delhi University gets new Vice Chancellor - Oct 29, 2010
Tags: academic council, amendment bill, apprehensions, democratic rights, education minister, graduate levels, intense discussions, member search committee, political associations, political circles, political interference, revolutionary socialist party, ruli, state higher education, state secretary, sudarshan, teacher recruitment, trinamool congress, vice chancellors, west bengal