By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: Union PNG-Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has written to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ while opposing the Ordinance recently passed by the Odisha Government to amend the Odisha Universities Act, 1989.
In a letter to the Union Education Minister, Pradhan also stated that the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 is in contrary to the vision of the Prime Minister enshrined in the National Education Policy, 2020 to promote autonomy of academic institutions to pursue excellence in teaching and research.
The amendments made to the Act are in contradiction with the practices in other States, he also observed. Pradhan further said the amendments would strip away the autonomy of universities.
“Replacing the important role and functions of the apex Senate body with the bureaucratic Syndicate body, which will effectively be run by State Government appointed nominees, including Secretary to the Syndicate who will also be appointed as the Registrar,” his letter stated.
Restricting the search and appointment of the Vice-Chancellor by the forced entry of a nominee in the Search Committee and further constraining it to a limited number of non-academic candidates, he said.
Opposing the recruitment of faculty members through the Odisha Public Service Commission and nonteaching staffs through the State Selection Board, he said the move would destroy the academic sanctity of the staff appointments.
“Removal of the tabling of University Audit report in the State Legislative Assembly, unscrupulously crippling the Constitutional process of discussion and scrutiny of utilisation of public funds,” he said.
Citing the Supreme Court judgement in the Osmania University Teachers’ Union Vs State of Andhra Pradesh, Pradhan asserted that the Odisha Ordinance would be struck down in court.
The State Cabinet had decided to bring all universities of the state under the ambit of one law. Similarly, the tenure of the Vice-Chancellors of the state universities was hiked from three to four years and their retirement age limit was extended from 65 to 67 years.
The Odisha BJP has earlier alleged the state government of trying to interfere in the functioning of the universities which will eventually hamper the autonomy of these establishments.
The Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM) had opposed the Odisha Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which brings about drastic changes in the Odisha Universities Act, 1989.
In a statement, Mahasangha national executive council member Dr Narayan Mohanty said that soon after the Central Government formulated the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 with emphasis on institutional autonomy, the State Government promulgated the ordinance curtailing the autonomy of the universities.
“How can the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) conduct interview every year for recruitment to the teaching posts of universities, when it is unable to conduct examinations for appointment to the OAS, OJS, OES cadres regularly,” wanted to know Dr Mohanty. By doing away with the Senate, which is an integral part of a university, the Government has shown its undemocratic attitude, he alleged.
As per Article 10(i) of the ordinance, the Syndicate would consist of two Professors each from the autonomous and non-autonomous colleges affiliated to the concerned university.
Commenting on this, Dr Mohanty said, “In reality, there is no post of Professor in any autonomous and non-autonomous colleges in Odisha, and therefore, this article is nothing but an attempt to ridicule the college teachers of the State.”Describing teachers and institutional autonomy as the essence of quality education, research and innovation, Dr Mohanty has appealed to the State Government to withdraw the ordinance.
