Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Call to retain democratic character of varsities

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 17. Speakers at a seminar organised by the ABVP here to discuss the proposed Unified Universities Bill were of the opinion that the democratic character of the universities should be retained.

Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MLA, said the Bill should be passed only after it was referred to a body like the select committee and after eliciting public opinion on its ramifications. The provisions to retain student representation in the various councils of the universities should be included in the Bill. The Bill, when passed, should retain the democratic character of the universities.

Pointing out the various shortcomings in the proposed Bill, the CPI(M) State committee member, C.P.Narayanan, said the draft did not seem to be based on any expert recommendations. It aimed to overturn the widely held notion that the attainment of a degree was for public good.

According to Mr.Narayanan, only Karnataka and Maharashtra had passed a similar Bill. Each university would have its own essential features and a unified Universities Bill was inappropriate for a State like Kerala. Mr.Narayanan charged that the Bill would destroy the autonomy of the universities. It enabled the executive council to function as a super university. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor would have more powers than the Vice-Chancellor and could interfere in each and every activity of the university.

The CPI(M) leader questioned what he called the discrimination in the Bill towards Government, aided and unaided colleges affiliated to a university. Despite the Supreme Court order banning collection of capitation fees, the Bill had clauses enabling its collection.

He felt that the diverse nature of the universities should be retained and also called for the decentralisation of the various activities of the universities instead of centralising them as it was espoused in the Bill.

The former Calicut University Vice-Chancellor, T.N.Jayachandran, said the education system in the State should be modernised by introducing new courses and by streamlining its activities. As a solution to the controversy over the nomination of members to the councils, he suggested equal representation to elected and nominated members in the councils.

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