Govt to frame new Act to govern universities

The announcement came after scores of members, both from the Opposition and the treasury benches, stalled the proceedings of the House, twice, by rushing into the well of the House shouting slogans demanding immediate action against Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University D N Dhanagare.

While discussing a calling attention motion moved by Hasan Mushrief, members from both the sides, including Chandrakant Padwal, Suresh Salokhe, Abhay Singh Raje-Bhonsale, Dinkar Patil, Ravindra Mane and Datta Nalawade demanded that the Vice-Chancellor of the Shivaji University be immediately suspended for his highhandedness in administering the university.

Valse-Patil told them that complaints against the Vice-Chancellor were received by the government since 1997, and that a committee appointed by the government in April 1997 had submitted its report. He said the government would, after examining the report, inform Chancellor Dr P C Alexander, within eight days.

However, not satisfied with his replies, members demanded that the government was protecting the Vice-Chancellor, who had defied Government directives on several occasions and had strained relations with students, teachers as well as the staff. They demanded immediate removal of the Vice-Chancellor and asked the minister to at least issue an order of suspension.

Valse-Patil told the House that under the rules, the Chancellor had the powers of removal of vice-chancellors and the State Government did not have the powers to do so. The members then rushed to the well of the House and raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor. The minister then announced that the Government would study the inquiry report and inform the Chancellor accordingly within two days.

However, members continued to shout slogans and Deputy Speaker Pramod Shende had to adjourn the House twice, for five minutes on the first occasion and for ten minutes on the second occasion.

Later, when the House reassembled Valse-Patil expressed the inability of the Government in taking punitive action against the Vice-Chancellor. He said the Government would introduce a Bill within a week to frame fresh laws for governing universities so that the legislature, which was the sovereign body in the State, had enough powers to govern universities.

The calling attention motion had pointed out that in the recently held examinations, students were not supplied with supplementary answersheets and that the Vice-Chancellor had behaved in a rude manner.