 STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF
 MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS

Unless and until acted upon, recommendations will ony be theoretical prescriptions for effectiveness and tend to be like mirages - distant and unreal. Aware of the many major legal and administrative constraints along the way to total reform of University governance, the Committee presents separate strategies for each of the University-related constituencies - the Government of India, the University Grants Commission, the State Government, the governing

bodies of the Universities, and the managements of colleges. Strategies are a further step from recommendations to specifics - specific courses of action - in the direction of realising the organisational objectives. Union legislation in this regard needs be the foremost to set in motion strategies for implementation by the different constituencies of the system as shown hereunder:

1.GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

[A] [1] The parliament may enact a law [Model Act] setting out the basic structure of the University governance and ensuring that all related legislations by the State Governments conform to the core provisions of this law;

[2] To review the Acts of Central Universities to effect changes in the nomenclature, size and composition of their governing and other bodies and in the modes of appointment of members thereof and that of officers

[3] To make a statutory stipulation in the Acts of Universities that it be obligatory for the Universities to follow the regulations issued by the UGC form time to time.

[4] To require that new legislations [including amendments] in respect of State Universities be referred to the University Grants Commission prior to their enactment; and

[5] To provide for a Council of Central Universities.

[B] The UGC Act to be reviewed and revised:-

[1] To empower the Commission for greater involvement in the overall development of higher eudcation in the country;

[2] To make prior concurrence of the Commission obligatory for opening new Universities; and

[3] To provide for consultation with the State level machinery.

2. UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

[i] To establish 4-5 regional offices for effecitve implementation and monitoring of the Commission's programmes and its funding to universities and colleges.

STATE GOVERNMENTS

[i] To constitute the State Council for Higher Education to assist and coordinate the functioning of the universities and for effective liasion with the State Government and the UGC; and

[ii] To review the Acts of the State Universities to effect changes in nomenclature, size and composition of their governing and other bodies and in the modes of appointment of members to these bodies as also officers of the Universities in accordance with the recommendation made by the UGC.

4.UNIVERSITIES

i) To initiate action to create new positions bodies as suggested by the UGC;

ii) To periodically review the working of its governing bodies-the Board of Management, the S.C.C. and the Academic Council;

iii) To recommend to the State Council for Higher Education and the State Government changes considered helpful in the modes of governance of the University as envisaged by the UGC;

iv) Large Universities, with 40 or more colleges affiliated to it, to establish regional centres to compensate for the infrastructural deficiencies in colleges in rural and semi-urban areas; and

v) To start building up endowment funds so that total dependence on government grants is reduced.

5. COLLEGES

i) To constitute a Planning and Evaluation Committee to formulate the specific/distinctive goals of the Institution, periodically review its personnel and material resources, administrative patterns, overall accountablity, and to propose developments phased over a period to qualify at the earlist for the autnomous status,

ii) To review and revamp its administrative structure.

MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK BETTER

We have made. conscious efforts, inter-alia, to ensure:

- clarity of role and functions of University Authorities and reduction in their over-lapping functions;

- introduction of decentralised or self-management at different levels linked with accountability;

- enlargement of the scope of Universities linkages with National / Research Laboratories, as also for the establishment of Regional / National Facilities Autonomous Institutes on University campuses;

- clarity in the role and working of different functionaries to remove Prevailing confusion and to meet the new demands on the University System and also suggest new functionaries to meet new demands;

- a more effective role for the collegiate system to meet the demands for Higher, Education;

- better Management of Research and Extension ; and

- grievances re-dressal machinery.

We hope that implementation of the recommendations made by the committee will improve the efficiency of University Management and lead to more effective achievement of the objectives of the Universities.

The Association of Indian Universities had organised a National Seminar on the Theme of *MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK BETTER". [7th December 1988 at Banaras Hindu University].

The summary of recommendations are given below:-

1. It is necessary that each University clearly spells out the objectives which it intends to pursue.

2. The role of the University as a centre of creation and dissemination of knowledge must be preserved and protected.

3. The social standing and image of the University and or that of its Vice-Chancellor, who symbolises the University, is to be preserved and not denigrated by anybody for any reason whatsoever.

4. Norms for appointment of and for transacting business with Vice-Chancellors and preserving their social prestige and for taking any action against them by the Government/Chancellor should be evolved and respected by all.

5. It is to be ensured that only people of the 'highest level of competence, integrity, morals and self-respect are appointed as Vice-Chancellors and that conditions are created so that once appointed they receive cooperation of all including the Government / Chancellor to discharge their duties satisfactorily until the end of their full tenure.

6. It must be ensured that appropriate modalities and norms are developed by the Central and State Governments, the UGC and other funding agencies, so that adequate funds are allocated to the Universities Colleges and that they are also released in time.

7. Suitable procedures and norms must be evolved to overcome delays in decision-making by the Central and State Governments, the University Grants Commission and other parallel agencies.

8. The Ministries, Government Departments of Education, the UGC, other parallel bodies, and the University System must enable the teachers and students to play a meaningful and constructive role in planning and implementation of "MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK BETTER' by setting up consultative forums at various levels.

9. Strategies should be devised to improve the motivation of the entire community of teachers, who form the backbone of the University System.

10. A System of the assessment of teachers' performance must be evolved and implemented by Universities, ensuring modalities for recognition of creative and innovative work.

11. Appropriate machinery for quick redressal of grievance [Teachers, Students and Non-Teaching Staff] must be created / improved in all Universities and Colleges.

12. The maintenance of discipline amongst the students and to keep the undesirable elements under control is the responsibility of the Vice-Chancellor and the University administration, and no interference should be allowed in this field.

13. The political parties should work out for themselves and adhere to a code of conduct, ensuring that the student community is left completely free to engage itself in study, research and other cocurricular and related activities, and is not drawn into action politics.

14. The administration of Universities needs to be modernized and the procedures rationalised so as to ensure that delay in admissions, conduct of examinations and declaration of results etc., are totally eliminated.

15. "Performance Audit" within the institution must be instituted forthwith, to apprise the institution of its own shortcomings and possibilities of its improvement.

Earlier, the A.I.U. in a regional seminar of the Vice-Chancellors of the North Eastern Region (May, 1988] had worked out the details of "MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK." The recommendations made in this seminar are given in Annexure 24.