Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Spurring varsities

Sir, — This has reference to the Editorial ``Spurring India's Universities'' (June 18). Central organisations usually support specific research activities and, therefore, the universities may be able to develop in those areas of knowledge. The same is true of foreign aid also. For normal maintenance expenditure of the universities, the Government which established it, provides funds either as deficit grants or block grants.

In the deficit grant model, every year the Government peruses the budget of the university and provides funds for the activities that it approves minus the probable receipts. It provides the deficit in order to meet the expenditure in connection with the approved activities. In the case of the block grant model, the Government gives a grant for meeting the objectives of the university as found in the Act. To this day, the block grant system is followed in Tamil Nadu.

Under the system, the ideal condition would be that the Government does not impose any condition for release of grants other than what is stipulated in the Constitution in respect of educational institutions. If the autonomy of the universities is protected in thought, word and deed then they will grow into world-class education institutions.

S. Muthukumaran,
Chennai

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