CHENNAI: Giving effect to the announcement made by Chief Minister M K Stalin a few days ago, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiyan on Monday introduced a bill to establish the Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam by bifurcating the Bharathidasan University in Tiruchy, which covers eight districts. Significantly, chief minister will be the chancellor of the new university.
So far, the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University is the sole exception where the CM holds the position of chancellor.
“The chief minister of the state of Tamil Nadu shall be the chancellor of the Kalaignar University. He shall, by virtue of his office, be the head of the university and shall, when present, preside at any convocation of the university and confer degrees, titles, diplomas or other academic distinctions upon persons entitled to receive them,” the bill tabled in the Assembly said.
The higher education minister shall be the pro-chancellor of this university and in the absence of the chancellor or during the chancellor’s inability to act, the pro-chancellor shall exercise all the powers and perform all duties of the chancellor. The Bharathidasan University covers a large area comprising eight districts – Ariyalur, Karur, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Tiruvarur.
“To fulfil the ever-growing demands of higher education from diverse sections of the society and also to fulfil the aspirations of the youth, especially in the delta region, from disadvantaged background to enter higher education institutions and also to increase the gross enrolment ratio in the said region, the establishment of Kalaignar University is essentially required,” the bill explained.
The proposed Kalaignar University would provide world-class facilities and disseminate knowledge for the upliftment of the marginalised living in the districts of Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur and Thiruvarur, the bill stated, pointing out that after the establishment of the Kalaignar University in Kumbakonam, the Bharathidasan University will cover the area comprising districts of Tiruchy, Karur, Perambalur and Pudukkottai.
The headquarters of the Kalaignar University will be located within the limits of Kumbakonam city municipal corporation or in any place within a radius of 25 km around those limits, the bill stated.
V Pari, regional secretary of the TNGCTA and senate member of Bharathidasan University, said the university currently oversees two regional joint directorates of collegiate education- one in Tiruchy and another in Thanjavur.
“With the bifurcation, the Thanjavur directorate will now come under Kalaignar University, which will simplify and streamline the administrative processes,” he added.
Make CM chancellor of all state varsities: Teachers’ association
CHENNAI: The Association of University Teachers (AUT) on Monday urged the state government to bring further amendments to the State Universities Act to make chief minister the chancellor of state universities. In a memorandum to the higher education minister, the association said the recent amendments to the Acts governing 10 state universities, facilitating the appointment of vice-chancellors by the state government, were appreciable.
However, further changes were necessary to remove the governor’s role as chancellor in 19 of the 21 universities. The AUT said the move will ensure autonomy of universities and strengthen the federal structure of governance. “If the governor continues to have powers to interfere in the affairs of state universities, it will affect their functioning. The state government should bring further amendments to take complete control of the universities,” said AUT president MS Bala Murugan.