BHUBANESWAR: The Monsoon session of the Assembly kicked off to a stormy start with the Congress and BJP members strongly opposing the introduction of the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
They alleged that it is a move by the Government to snatch away the autonomy of higher educational institutions and stifle their capacity for innovation.
Describing it as a black legislation, Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati tore a copy of the Bill and urged Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro to refer it to the Select committee for further discussion.
Besides destroying the independence of the universities, the proposals for amendment aims to give the ruling party a say in recruitments. The abolition of the Syndicate should be strongly opposed, he said.
Leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Narasingh Mishra opposed the introduction of the Bill in the House by arguing that amendment of the Universities Act does not fall within the ambit of the State Government.
“The amendment of the Universities Act is unconstitutional as it falls under the domain of the Centre. The State Government’s move is against the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act,” Mishra further stated.
He claimed that the State Government had initiated the process to amend the Universities Act since 2016, but the move was opposed by the Law Department.
“The Government could have brought the Bill in the Budget session of the House without taking the ordinance route,” he said and questioned the hurry to rush through the Bill when there is an extraordinary situation because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government has brought the Bill with a motive to bring the management of the universities under its control, he alleged.
The BJP also joined the Congress in protesting the introduction of the Bill. Alleging that the Bill would seriously undermine the autonomy of the universities, leader of the Opposition Pradipta Kumar Naik raised questions on the transparency in the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff.
The amendment proposes to abolish the Syndicate and bring in ruling party members to the committee so that it can control the recruitment process in the institutions, he said.
HHigher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahu, however, assured the members that the autonomy of the universities will remain intact.