BHUBANESWAR: In what is being alleged as an attempt to restrict the autonomy of state’s public universities, the Higher Education department has directed the institutions to approve decisions taken in their syndicate meetings only after they are vetted by the department. Besides, universities can invite dignitaries to their events only after taking approval of the department.
While academicians claimed the move is defeating the purpose of granting autonomy to the public universities whose highest body is its syndicate, the department said the decisions are in the greater interest of the institutions. A syndicate has the power to manage the affairs of the university, particularly in administering funds and properties of the university. Apart from the vice-chancellor, the syndicate includes other academicians, registrar from the university, comptroller of finance, commissioner-cum-secretary of the Higher Education department and his representative, regional director of education, PG Council chairman, three nominees of the chancellor and three principals of affiliated colleges, among others.
The department has decided that registrars of all public universities shall intimate the commissioner, the branch officer of the university section of the department and representative of the commissioner to the syndicate regarding the date of the conduct of each syndicate meeting and its agenda a fortnight in advance. After each syndicate meeting, the draft proceedings shall be submitted to the branch officer and representative of the commissioner to the syndicate for review only after which, the university can approve them.
As far as infrastructure development is concerned, universities have been directed not to divert funds provided for a project for any other purpose. In cases of funds misutilisation or diversion, the university’s registrar and comptroller of finance will be held accountable. With infrastructure grants and the interest generated from it lying unused in many universities, the department has asked all the institutions to return the interest generated from such funds to it.
Vice-chancellors, requesting anonymity, said with these decisions, the department is trying to encroach upon the Act and statute of a university and limiting the power of the syndicate. The public universities in the state are being governed by the Odisha Universities Act, 1989 which was amended in 2020. The amended Act - the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020 - has been stayed by the Supreme Court.
“In a syndicate, which includes three members of the government, decisions are taken after everyone’s approval. If the decisions are to be again vetted by the department, where is the autonomy of the syndicate? Besides, there is no provision in the Act and statute that a university has to be guided by the department,” a VC said.
Officials of the department clarified the decisions have been taken for overall improvement, smooth management and better functioning of the universities. While the 1989 Act mandates presence of commissioner-cum-secretary of the department or his representative as the ex-officio member in the syndicate and its meeting, the decision on invitation to dignitaries has been taken to avoid last minute hassles.
“In the past, universities have appointed high-level dignitaries and informed the department at the last minute as a result of which, there have been several hassles in putting all the protocols in place,” an official said.