While many universities in different states are caught in the political conundrum to elect Vice Chancellors, the Higher Education Department of Karnataka seems to be making efforts to undo the political impact in having a say in electing Vice Chancellors. In a draft proposal submitted to the Higher Education Department on May 4 by Dr Vasudev Atre, senior academician and former head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the constitution of BOG (Board of Governors) appears to be the major amendment that has been recommended. It may be recalled that a committee headed by Atre was formed in 2020 to make amendments to the Karnataka State University Act, 2000. The draft proposal under which the constitution of the BOG is recommended has now been submitted to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. A senior official in the Karnataka State Higher Education Council said, “The proposal is drafted keeping in line with the National Education Policy, global education standards and also the state’s interests. The body of governors will include a group of eminent members who have equal representation of all stakeholders. It may consist of an academic council member, teacher, industry experts, and government official. The board of governors will be responsible for strategic planning for the university, laying out a vision, appointing the Vice Chancellor, accountability, monitoring different bodies and being involved in other critical roles.” The official also mentioned that the BOG is the highest authority in the university, above the Vice Chancellor. “We have seen cases of Vice Chancellor’s appointments that are politically motivated. In Karnataka, we want to do away with any sort of political influence having a say in appointing Vice Chancellors and make universities more autonomous in their mechanism. The draft has been submitted to the Chief Minister and we are waiting for the approval,” said the official. Minister for Higher Education Dr Ashwathnarayan C N said, “With the constitution of the BOG, the reforms are aimed to provide quality education on the lines of NEP 2020. BOG is also along the lines of the IIT model of appointing a Vice Chancellor to the university which will ensure transparency.” The Forum of Former Vice Chancellors of Karnataka (FVCK) also welcomed the move of the state government to amend the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000, to bring in changes in the structure and functions of universities in consonance with the recommendations made by the National Education Policy 2020. The forum also laid out certain suggestions to reinforce the twin activities of teaching and research. It said in the suggestions that existing vacancies of faculty positions (45-50 per cent) should be filled on priority to induct both qualified and competent people. Nothing significant can ever be achieved with the stop-gap arrangement of guest faculty for ritualistic teaching, it added. The infrastructure of both old and new universities must be strengthened through adequate development grants and with due encouragement to raise internal resources, according to the forum. “For today’s knowledge systems, we need today’s tools and technologies but not of yesterday’s.” It also said that the archaic nomenclature of the Syndicate must be replaced by the Board of Governors (BOG) which should have wide-ranging powers and authority including the appointment of VCs. In this respect, the recently introduced Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) model is worth emulating. Well-defined statutes should be put in place to govern the steps to be taken by the search-cum-selection committee in identifying suitable candidates, it said. It added that for large universities with several hundred affiliated colleges, the post of a pro-chancellor is highly desirable to take care of and to free the V-Cs admissions, affiliations, examinations, litigations and student welfare activities like hostel facilities, scholarships, cultural programmes, etc. The forum said that the new role of the government should be more that of a facilitator than of a controller. “Too many regulations prove to be counterproductive. Let the universities function on their roadmap drawn by the BOG in consultation with the academics. The government can intervene in case of gross commissions and omissions.”
