Senate passes draft statutes for autonomy

MUMBAI, OCT 15: After much controversy, the draft statutes for granting autonomy to various institutions were passed at the University of...

MUMBAI, OCT 15: After much controversy, the draft statutes for granting autonomy to various institutions were passed at the University of Mumbai8217;s October meeting of the Senate held today. It was not smooth sailing, though, with teachers affiliated to the Bombay University and College Teachers8217; Union BUCTU staging a walkout as most of the amendments they had moved 8212; on fee structure and teachers8217; representation 8212; were not passed.

One of the major amendments BUCTU had moved was with regard to the fee structure. Senate member Dr Jose George moved an amendment suggesting that the clause allowing autonomous institutions to fix their own fees be deleted. 8220;When the government is not ready to allow universities to fix fees, why should colleges be allowed? There must be some checks,8221; he said. However, the amendment was not carried.

Attempts to make elections necessary for deciding on teachers8217; representatives to the various bodies in autonomous institutions, such as the Board of Management, FinanceCommittee, Examination Committee and Purchase Committee, also fell flat. The explanation given for demanding elections was that there could be chances of favouritism otherwise. Also, experiences of autonomy in other states were not encouraging either, it was stated.

Prof Kranti Jejurkar moved an amendment suggesting the two teachers8217; representatives in the Board of Management should be 8220;elected from among themselves,8221; instead of being senior8217; teachers nominated by the principal. Similar amendments moved by Prof Tapati Mukhopadhyay about teachers8217; representation in the Finance Board and Purchase Committee were also not carried. But students will be getting a representation in the Board of Management of autonomous institutions, as amenments moved by Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Dr Ashok Modak for the same were carried.

An amendment was also moved by Prof Madhu Paranjape for including a clause that institutions applying for autonomy should have a 8220;record of dealing with teaching and non-teaching staff andtheir problems satisfactorily.8221; It was also demanded that there should have been harmonious employer-employee relationship in the institution. This amendment was carried.

But another amendment moved by Prof Paranjape to include a secret ballot for teaching and non-teaching staff, on whether they are in favour of the institution getting autonomy, was not carried.

However, the Senate agreed in favour of increasing fees while applying for autonomous status to Rs 50,000 from Rs 25,000, so that only serious institutions apply.

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Finally, when the motion was put to vote, Prof C R Sadasivan announced that teachers affiliated to BUCTU would be staging a walkout. This was to protest the fact that the election process for deciding on teachers8217; representatives in the various bodies as well as the check on fee structure was not carried at the Senate. However, the members returned so that quorum could be maintained at the Senate. Draft statutes on service conditions of teachers also came up at the Senate.

Even asthe Senate meeting was going on, engineering students protested at the university campus. The students had only recently been given the facility of not having to repeat semesters V or VII as the case may be, even though they were 8220;inappropriately admitted.8221; However, they could not sit for the exams till they cleared their backlog. Students today demanded that they be allowed to appear for the exams as well, as otherwise they would lose an year. University officials said a meeting of the engineering faculty will be called next week to discuss the issue.