THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what could lead to a total curtailment of the role of the Governor as Chancellor, a Commission appointed by the government to suggest general reforms in the higher education sector has recommended appointment of separate Chancellors for each university and a greater role for the chief minister as ‘Visitor’ of varsities. However, the government has assured that the recommendations will be subjected to wide-ranging discussions and legal scrutiny before being implemented.
“The objective of appointing Commissions on three different aspects is to come up with proposals for an overall revamp of the higher education sector. The recommendations cover diverse aspects and some of the reforms may seem radical. It is for the government to finally decide which recommendations need to be implemented,” Higher Education Minister R Bindu told TNIE. The minister added that after the consultation with top officials of universities, discussions will be initiated with other stakeholders such as representatives of students and teachers.
“Since the recommendations also include those relating to changes in the existing administrative set-up in universities, all legal aspects associated with it will also be thoroughly examined before arriving at a final decision,” she added. The government’s clarification came amid reports that the Governor’s decision not to give immediate assent to Ordinances was due to displeasure over alleged moves to curtail his role as Chancellor.
The Commission, headed by academic Prof Shyam B Menon, has said that the Chancellor must be a person of eminence who has distinguished herself/himself in public life through a lifetime of excellence and leadership. The chief minister as ‘Visitor’, will ensure that the governance of the university is in congruence with the broad mission mandated to them through legislation. A radical proposal to bring all universities, some of them handled by other departments, under the Department of Higher Education also figures in the report.
The Commission also proposed that the role of the powerful Syndicates in varsities should be restricted to just “deliberation and approval” of the budget and policy proposals. It also recommended revamping the Senate into a ‘Board of Regents’ comprising people from key segments such as government, civil society, industry culture and academia.
The proposed ‘Board of Regents’ will select separate Chancellors for each varsity and will also appoint the Vice-Chancellor from a list of three names proposed by a search committee. The body will also have a decisive role in selection of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor. The Commission has recommended giving a five-year term instead of four years for the Vice Chancellor and also a second term for the incumbent till he or she attains the age of 70.
Favouring establishment of private universities, the Commission said it was a better alternative to deemed-to-be universities. It also recommended enactment of a Kerala State Private Universities Bill for establishing such varsities. The Commission proposed clustering of smaller universities and eventually amalgamating them and called for dismantling of the affiliation system over the next 10 years.
Favouring more autonomy to colleges, it proposed that affiliating universities should disengage from managing course design, syllabus development and even conduct of examinations. It also recommended that all new posts created in aided colleges should be financed by the institution itself.
The Commission called for a common academic calendar for all universities, discontinuation of the exploitative system of guest lecturers and filling up of all teacher vacancies. Fee waiver based on family income slabs and social background has been proposed with a full fee waiver for students from SC/ST category and those with family income less than Rs 6 lakh per annum.