 MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION -
 AN OVER-VIEW

[Historical over-view of Management of Higher Education Major Recommendations made by various Commissions and Committees]

2.0 PRE-INDEPENDENCE ERA

Though the modern Indian Universities owe their origin to the British Raj, Indian tradition has always fostered learning. In ancient India there were centres of higher learning at places such as Takshashila in the North, Nalanda and Vikramshila in Bihar, Vallabhi in Kathiawad, Kanchi in the South and Nadia in Bengal etc. Muslim rulers, in the medieval period, encouraged the establishment of madrasas. The organisational structure of these institutions is believed to have been simple and informal.

In 1781, the British Raj established the Calcutta Madrasa. Raja Rammohan Roy formed an, association of like-minded people to found the Hindu College in Calcutta in 1817. The period l835-1852 saw the establishment of a few Colleges at different places in the country including Colleges in Engineering and Medicine.

2.0.1 WOODS' DESPATCH

In 1853 the British Parliament, for the first time, instituted an enquiry into the state of Indian education. This resulted in the famous Wood's Despatch of July 1854, proposing the establishment of Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. This proposal to set up "affiliating universities' on the model of London University was accepted.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The organisational structure of these universities consisted of "university authorities" which included a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor, a Senate consisting of not less than 30 Fellows nominated by the Governor-in-Council and a Syndicate consisting of Vice-Chancellor, the Director of Public Instruction of the Province and six Fellows elected from the members of the Faculties. The Senate was empowered to manage the affairs and property of the university, to appoint and

remove all examiners, officers and servants of the university and to frame bye-laws and regulations. All bye-laws and regulations framed by the Senate had to receive the approval of the Governor-in-Council. The executive power was vested in a Syndicate consisting of the Vice-Chancellor and six Fellows. The Syndicate derived its authority from the bye-laws of the university and the functions of the Syndicate were exercised subject to the general control of the Senate.

The principal administrative officer of the University was the Registrar who was the head of the University staff. He conducted the University correspondence and was the custodian of the records, the library, the common seal and such other property of the University as the Syndicate would commit to his charge. All meetings of the Senate, Syndicate and Faculties were to be convened through 'the Registrar, who was to keep a record of the proceedings of such meetings. He was appointed by the Syndicate subject to confirmation by the Senate.

The primary functions of the Universities were prescribing courses and syllabi and holding of examinations and conferring of degrees on the successful candidates.

2.0.2 EDUCATION COMMISSION (1882)

In 1882 the Government of India appointed a Commission "to enquire into the manner in which effect had been given to the principles of Despatch of 1854 and to suggest such measures as it may think desirable in order to further carry out the policy therein laid down". The Commission advocated among other things, the gradual withdrawal of the State from the direct support and management of institutions of higher education.

UNIVERSITIES BECOME TEACHING BODIES

The expansion of higher education and the increase in the number of colleges led to problems which necessitated the appointment of the Universities Commission in 1902 'to enquire into the condition and prospects of the Universities established in British India.; to consider and report upon any proposals which have been or may be made for improving their constitution and working, and to recommend such measures as may tend to elevate the standards of University teaching, and to promote the advancement of learning'.

The main recommendations of the Commission were:

- The legal powers of the older Universities should be enlarged so that all the universities may be recognised as teaching bodies but the local limits of each university should be more accurately defined.

- The Senate, the Syndicate and the Faculties have to be reorganised and made more representative than before.

- There should be a properly constituted Governing Body for each college.

2.0.3 UNIVERSITIES ACT OF 1904

According to the Indian Universities Act of 1904 The University shall be....... deemed to have been incorporated for the purpose (among others) of making provision for the instruction of students, with power to appoint University professors and lecturers, to hold and manage educational endowments, to erect, equip and maintain University libraries, laboratories and museums, to make regulations relating to the residence and conduct of students, and to do all acts, consistent with this Act, which lead to the promotion of study and research.

The Act proposed organisational changes in the Universities. Statutory recognition was given to the Syndicate with adequate representation of University teachers and the conditions for affiliation to the University were clearly laid down. The Government was vested with certain powers regarding the regulations to be framed by the Senate, and the Governor General-in-Council was empowered to define the territorial limits of the Universities.

2.0.4 EDUCATION POLICY [1913]

The Education Policy of 1913 proposed the establishment of new teaching and residential Universities within each of the provinces. The Central Hindu College was developed as the Banaras Hindu University and the M.A.0 College into Aligar Muslim University. These two Universities were set up by Acts of the Central legilatures. Universities were also established at Mysore, Hyderabed, Patna and other places; by this time, there were three types of Universities:

[a] Unitary Universities,

[b] Federative Universities and

[C] Affiliating-cum-teaching Universities.

All these Universities were statutory bodies established by law. Besides incorporating the University, the Act dealt with the powers, jurisdictions and authorities for the management and administration of various matters entrusted to the Universities. Governance practices were generally the same at all the Universities; a Chancellor, and a Vice- Chancellor were the statutory administrative heads of the university, with the Senate, Academic Council and the Syndicate as the statutory bodies discharging legislative, academic and executive functions entrusted to them under the provisions of the Act. Provision existed in the Act for subordinate legislation like the Statutes, Ordinances, Regulations and Rules; the powers to frame these being delegated respectively to the Senate, Syndicate, Academic Council and the statutory committees or boards.

2.1 POST - INDEPENDENCE ERA

2.1.1 EDUCATION COMMISSION [1948-49]

The Government of India. in November, 1948, appointed the University Education Commission known as Radhakrishnan Commission to offer suggestion for enabling the Indian Universities to meet the new responsibilities. The Commission felt that all Universities should be constituted as autonomous bodies. It further recommended that:

[1] University education should be placed in the Concurrent List which meant that, both the States and Central Governments could legislate on the subject of education.

[2] The Central Government should be responsible for finance, coordination of facilities in special subjects, adoption of a national policy ensuring minimum standards of efficiency, and liasion between Universities and research laboratories.

[3] Universities should be teaching institutions rather than affiliating types and recommended the elimination of affiliating Universities.

[4] Government Colleges should be transformed into constituent colleges to give rise to federative Universities.

[5] College governing bodies should be properly consituted.

[6] The aim of an affiliated college should be to develop into a unitary university and later into a federative one.

[7] The authorities of the University were to be. The Visitor [the Governor General], the Chancellor [generally the provincial Governor], the Vice-Chancellor (a full time officer], the Senate (Court]; the Executive Council [Syndicate], the Academic Council, the Faculties, the Boards of Studies, the Finance Committee, and the Selection Committees. A Grants Allocation Committee should be constituted for provinces with Universities of the teaching and affiliating type; and the University Grants Commission should be set up for allocation of funds.

2.1.2 COMMITTEE ON 'MODEL ACT FOR UNIVERSITIES'.

In 1961, the Government of India appointed a committee, under the Chairmanship of Prof. D.S. Kothari, Chairman, University Grants Commission, to consider broadly the organisatinal structure of the Universities and to prepare the outline of a "Model Act" suited to their role and functions in the context of the fast developing Indian Society. The Committee observed that in a vast country like India "it is necessary that the Consitution of a University should be formulated in sufficiently general terms, so as to permit innovation and experimentation." The Committee was of the view that the main Act of a University should lay down the structure and Organisation in broad terms and the relevant details may be prescribed by Statutes and Ordinances. This, in the opinion of the Committee, was essential because of frequent changes in academic life due to the rapid expansion of knowledge, particularly in Science and Technology.

2.1.3 EDUCATION COMMISSION [1964-66]

In July 1964, the Government of India appointed an Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Professor D.S. Kothari, to survey and examine the entire field of education in order to realise within the shortest possible time, a well balanced, integrated and adequate system of national education capable of making a powerful contribution to national life.

The Commission in its report stated that Universities should evolve dynamic teachniques of management and organisation suited to their special functions and purposes." It also made the following recommendations

- The representation of the non-academic element on university bodies should be mainly for the purpose of presenting the wider interests of society as a whole to the university but not to impose them.

- The Universities should give considerable autonomy to their departments.

- There should be joint committees of teachers and students in each department and in every college, and a central committee under the Chairmanship of the head of the institution for the discussion of common problems and difficulties.

The report with regard to Legislation for Universities recommended that:

- The Court should be the policy making body of the university with a membership of not more than 100, of which about half should be external;

- The Executive Council with the Vice-Chancellor as Chairman should consist of 15-20 members, about half being internal and half external;

- The Academic Council should be the sole authority for determining the courses of study and standards.

- Each University should have an Academic Planning Board for permanent planning and evaluation, detached from day-to- day administration.

The Governors of the States should be the Visitors of all Universities in the State and should have power to direct inspection or inquiry into the affairs of a University.

There should be a Council of Affiliated Colleges in every affiliating University to advise the University on all matters relating to affiliation of Colleges.

2.1.4 COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

In 1969, the University Grants Commission constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. P.B.Gajendragadkar, Vice-Chancellor, Bombay University, to study the problems of "University Governance". The Committee made recommendations including the following:

- To introduce autonomy in universities to encourage innovation, experimentation and change;

- To promote and strengthen student participation in the administrative and academic affairs of universities;

- To leave the administration of extracurricular activities entirely to students;

- To provide adequate financial support and financial autonomy;

- To introduce adequate machinery to deal with the grievances of students, teachers and administrative staff;

2.1.5 UGC COMMITTEE ON THE WORKING OF CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES

The Committee noted the recommendations made by the UGC Committee on the working of the Central Univesities, particularly the following which have a bearing on management of the Universities:

- Provision of Court in the Central Universities should be deleted.

- Executive Council should be the principal organ of management in the university.

- Term of the Vice-Chancellor should be five years and he should not be eligible for appointment for another term.

- The Head of the department may be given a three years' term after which he may be reappointed; the choice to be made by the Vice-Chancellor.

- Acts of the Central Universities should provide for a Council of Central Universities.

- Universities may set up Joint Consultative Machinery on the same lines as in the Central Government. There should be separate machineries for teachers and for the non-teaching staff.

2.1.6 PROJECT REPORT "ALTERNATE MODELS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF UNIVERSITIES"

The Educational Consultants [A Government of India Undertaking] made a study on Models of management in 1986. Some of the significant observations made in this study are as under;

1. It is important that the objectives of the University be well defined in the light of the New Education Policy and incorporated in the Acts.

2. The University Grants Commission Act should be so amended as to make Commission's prior concurrence obligatory for opening now universities.

3. The Central Government should make statutory provision requiring the State Governments to create State Councils of University Education in the States.

4. The Acts of the Universities be appropriately amended to acknowledge the power and responsibility of the UGC for the maintenance of standards.

5. There should be no elections to the University bodies since this has been a source of problems.

6. No Minister or member of Legislature should hold any office in any university or serve on any university body ex- officio.

7. The Courts or the Senates are unnecessary and it is recommended that they should be abolished.

MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION - AN OVER-VIEW