Rollback Higher Education Council Bill, demand Gujarat universities

Representatives of Gujarat University (GU) and other state universities have demanded a complete rollback of the controversial Gujarat State Higher Education Council Bill, 2016. The representatives, largely teachers and non-teaching staff, alleged that the BJP government is trying to curb the universities' autonomy. 

A discussion on the controversial Bill, which was passed by the Assembly in the Budget session, was held in Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Ahmedabad, on Sunday. The session was attended by AU Patel, chairperson of the drafting Bill committee and former GU Vice-Chancellor.

According to a report in the Indian Express, the proposed Bill aims to bring all state universities under the umbrella of a higher education council, "to carry out effective monitoring of the academic/administrative/financial performance of the Universities and affiliated colleges and to recommend remedial measures for better performance".

The state chief minister will be the president of the proposed council, education minister will act as vice-president and MoS for education co-vice-president. The council will also consist of five vice-chancellors from state universities.

Pankaj Shrimali, president of Gujarat State SC/ST Professors' Association, was quoted as saying, "The Bill is lacking in so many aspects. Reservation for example; there is no provision of reservation in formation of the Council. The issue of social welfare is not there at all in the objects of the Bill and even in the formation of the Council, the Secretary of Social Welfare department does not find place."

Patel, meanwhile, assured that all grievances will be taken care of by the government while framing the rules.