HT Correspondent
(Aligarh, April 9)

UNDER THE garb of privatisation and globalisation, higher education is being commercialised by private teaching shops here. This has deprived economically disadvantaged sections of society from seeking higher education. Despite a judgement by the Madras High Court, no attempts have been made by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to regulate the entry of foreign universities in the country.

This was stated by Prof Anand Kumar, the president of the Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Association at a seminar "Challenges in Higher Education in Aligarh Muslim University''.

This seminar was organised by teaching staff association of the AMU.

Mr Anand said that the commercialisation of higher education system in the country should be immediately stopped. This is not only encouraging corruption but is also snatching away the opportunities of higher education from the economically weak and deprived sections of society including the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

He said that unfortunately, the Ministry of Human Resource Development and University Grants Commission have been side tracking the basic issues related to the strengthening of higher education system in the country.

The teachers fear that there is a deliberate attempt to dismantle the state-owned institutions in the country.

Various schemes of higher research like the Research Scientists Scheme and the University Grants Commission has abandoned Senior Research Fellowships. No attempts have been made by the HRD and UGC to bring about transparency in the financial management of the educational institutions or steps for introducing participatory management through elected representation in the university bodies.

Dr Virendra Bhardwaj, General Secretary of the Federation of Central Universities Teachers Association said that teachers were only one component of the higher education system and unless reforms were carried out to improve the functioning of the other components like the Vice-Chancellors, pro-Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Principals etc, the efforts made by the teachers would not bring about desired results.

Besides, failing in their duties and functions, the MHRD and UGC have been arbitrarily withdrawing one by one, which had been granted to the teaching community through the Fifth Pay Commission.

Dr Kapil Kumar, former president of Federation of Central Universities Association, said that FEDUCTA had taken initiatives to introduce a code of conduct for the teachers. Measures for providing quality education to the students, uprooting corruption in the higher education and preparing younger generation for the challenges of life form part of it.

Dr Humayun Murad, president AMU Staff Association and Vice-President FEDUCTA said that there should be a provision in statutes of all Central Universities for the recall of Vice-Chancellor by the visitor in case a VC is found guilty of violating the University statutes.

Dr S. Mustafa Zaidi, Secretary AMU Staff Association said that the emergency powers of the Vice-Chancellor needed to be redefined. The emergency powers have to be exercised within the framework of the University provisions and statutes.