MANAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS, DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITIES
Deemed to be Universities are institutions which are not established as Universities through legislations, but which are declared as deemed to be universities as per Section 3 of the UGC Act.
Section 3 of the UGC Act empowers the Central Government to declare by notification any such institution as deemed to be university on the recommendations of the UGC. All provisions of the UGC Act are applicable to the deemed to be universities.
These deemed to be universities have the following salient features;
[1] They concentrate on specific areas assigned to them on the basis of which they are declared as deemed to be Universities;
[2] They are autonomous in academic, administrative, finance, research, evaluation and extension aspects, etc., like other universities;
[3] There is enough scope for trying out and developing different models of leadership owing to their limited jurisdiction;
[4] Such institutions are able to enjoy closer and thicker contacts of students with persons involved in administration, teaching, research, extension and evaluation and thereby they generates an encouraging social ethos and enobling educational climate on the campus;
[5) Due to closer contacts among persons at different levels, it provides an opportunity for developing a participatory decision making process leading to healthier relations among members;
[6] As these institutions have a well identified focus, they can play an important role in the maintenance of standards in that area.
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19.0 EXISTING FRAMEWORK We have examined the Memoranda of Association of most of the existing deemed to be universities and illustrate as under the management structures of some of them with particular reference to their authorities.
The deemed to be universities are basically societies registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act of 1860 and conform to the requirements of this Act or as a Trust with trustees being appointed and vested with legal powers and duties.
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore - The Visitor; the Court; the Council; the Senate; the Board of Management; the Board of Trustees; the Finance Committee and the Director.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences - The Governing Board; the Holding Trustees; the Academic Council and the Finance Committee.
Central Institute of English & Foreign Languages - The Board; the Academic Council and the Finance Committee.
Sri Satya Sai Institute of Higher Learning - The Governing Body, the Academic Council; the Finance Committee; the Faculties and the Board of Studies.
Gandhigram Rural Institute - The Senate; the Syndicate; the Academic Council; the Finance Committee; the Faculty and the Board of Studies.
School of Planning and Architecture - The General Council; the Executive Council; the Academic Council; the Finance Committee and the Board of Studies.
International School of Population Sciences - The General Council; the Executive Council; the Academic Council and the Finance Committee.
Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi - The Chancellor; the General Council of the Institute; the Board of Governors; Planning and Monitoring Board; the Finance Committee and the Technical Council.
It would, thus, be apparent that there are variations in management structures of Deemed to be Universities.
There is no authentic document providing a concrete definition of the concept of Deemed Universities. The decisions to declare these institutions as well as to maintain most of them have been made purely on ad hoc basis.
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For the first time in 1966, the Kothari Commission mentioned the following small paragraph:-
"12.43 DEEMED UNIVERSITIES: We consider this a welcome development. There is in our educational system a need for institutions having the academic status and privileges which ordinarily belong to a. university, but with more specific and limited functions and scope. While such institutions in their limited field should maintain the highest standard of teaching and research, their organizational set-up need not be the replica. of a, university. Our recommendation regarding autonomous colleges will be of some use in this context, We would like to stress that, in deeming institutions as universities under the UGC Act, the most careful attention should be paid to the question of educational standards. This provision under the Act gives scope for experimentation and innovation, but it should not become a cheap side - or back-door to university status."
Some times back the UGC formulated some norms to identify the appropriate institutions for conferring the status of 'Deemed to be a University". Still, on the whole, several aspects of this most innovative section of the UGC Act remain more or less undefined and unclear as to the nature of its status and character. At any rate, the intention of the Section 3 of the UGC Act is to confer this distinction on highly selected institutions. In the recent past, the number of Deemed Universities has grown fast and one wonders whether it is not necessary to exercise restrain in increasing the number of these institutions.While in one sense an increase in autonomous institutions is welcome, there seems to be a mixing of concepts of autonomous colleges and Deemed Universities which are completely different ideas.
UNIFORM MANAGEMENT PATTERN NOT DESIRABLE MANAGEMENT PATTERNS OF DEEMED UNIVERSITY NEED NOT BE UNIFORM EXCEPT FOR SOME CORE ELEMENTS AND SHOULD NOT APPEAR TO BE REPLICAS OF THE STRUCTURE OF CENTRAL OR STATE UNIVERSITIES. Even among Deemed Universities diversity of structure should be welcome. THE STRUCTURE OF EACH DEEMED UNIVERSITY, SUBJECT TO A FEW CORE ELEMENTS, SHOULD BE INDIGENOUS AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN OBJECTIVES.
If these institutions are subjected to follow conventional pattern of statutory universities, their potentiality of innovation will be seriously jeopardised. Any effort to require Deemed Universities to follow the organisational and academic pattern of statutory universities could defeat the very purpose for which these institutions are deemed to be universities. This status is conferred on the institutions to sustain a high degree of flexibility in academic
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financial and even administrative matters in order to guarantee their innovativeness. These institutions were chosen for their contributions in a span of history of several decades and the continuation of which will enrich the entire higher education system after they are brought within the purview of the UGC Act. The pattern of Central or State Universities cannot be a good ideal for these institutions. From this view, the Deemed Universities should be advised to enroll only a small number of students. Their indigenous structure and character should continue so that they remain innovative and experimental.
The financial support to these institutions is expected to help them to continue their experiments in their indigenous field which have grown out of their own cherished history. The Visiting Committees of the UGC which normally consists of teachers of conventional universities, should be advised to refrain from driving these institutions towards development on the lines of conventional universities. They should be encouraged to develop as inter-disciplinary Centres or Schools of Studies so that their potentiality of innovation may not be impeded.
IT WOULD GO A LONG WAY IF THERE WAS ESTABLISHED A
COUNCIL OF DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITIES LIKE THE PROPOSAL
OF COUNCIL FOR CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES. Further, it is also necessary to ensure that "Deemed University' is not used as a stepping stone to becoming a statutory university as has happened in some cases. It is also necessary to make it clear that an Autonomous College is not a stepping stone to become a deemed university.
It is also necessary to evolve a. much more flexible "Blockgrant" pattern that is conducive to problem- centred multidisciplinary studies which should be the main domain of deemed universities. There should be adequate provisions for scholarships for attracting good students, particularly at Post-Graduate levels so that well-qualified students get encouraged to undertake interdisciplinary problem-centred studies even at Master degree level before M.Phil or Ph.D. This will be conducive to developing them for advanced inter- disciplinary studies at research degree levels.
Several of the deemed institutions are creation of historic trust-deeds. They should not be required to change their original trust-deeds wherever it involves very complex and long litigation. It may be enough if the power of inspection of deemed universities by the Central Government was provided in the UGC Act itself.
The deemed universities should provide for co-operation with other specialised institutions for purposes of advanced learning, research and extension work and they may recognise such specialised institutions for this purpose.
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These institutions have to be secular in line with the preamble of the Constitution of India. No religious criteria could be applied for admission or work in such institutions. It is to be considered whether institutions with religious background should become deemed universities, because then the UGC will be flooded with such demands from all kinds of religious organisations.
19.2 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS IN MEMORANDA We further recommend that the following provisions in particular be made in the Memoranda of Association of Deemed to be Universities at appropriate places:
[1] The institution shall be open to persons of either sex and of whatever race, creed, caste or class and no test of condition shall be imposed as to religious belief or provision for admitting or appointing members, students, teachers, workers or in any other connection whatsoever.
[2] The Central Government shall have the right to cause an inspection to be made of the Institute, its buildings, laboratories, its examinations, teaching and other work conducted or done by the Institute; and to cause an enquiry to be made, if considered necessary by the Central Government, in respect of any matter connected with the Institute. This may be done through a provison in the UGC Act or through a separate agreement between the UGC and the concerned institution.
[3] To appoint such committees for such purposes and with such powers as the Board of Management may think fit and to co-opt such persons on these committees as it thinks fit.
[4] To delegate all or any of its powers to any committee or sub-committee constituted by it or to the Chairman or the Director of the Institute or any other person.
[5] The academic activities of the Institute may be reviewed by the Institute itself after every 5 years and the report submitted to the Chairman of the Institute who shall remit to the Board of Management for such action as may be considered necessary.
[6] To confer honorary degrees or other distinctions in the manner prescribed by the BYE- LAWS.
[7] To establish such special centres or other units for research and instruction as are, in the opinion of the Institute, necessary for the furtherance of its objects.
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[8] To delegate all or any of its powers to the Board or to any Committee or Committees constituted by it.
[9] To raise on behalf of the Institute loans from Central or any State Government or State Bank of India , Nationalised Banks or Scheduled Banks, or any COrporation owned or controlled by the Central or any State Government.
(10] To subscribe to, or become a member of or to cooperate or amalgamate with any other association or society whose objects are similar to that of the Society.
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