DELEGATION OF POWERS [ JAWAHAR
 LAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY]
 

Unlike traditional universities where the academic activities are primarly descipline-based and related departments are put together under the umbrella of a faculty, in JNU the academic and research activities have been planned to nurture and promote inter-disciplinary studies and research. Towards this end, a School has been visualized as a community of scholars representing a variety of discipline organically linked with each other in terms of subject matter and methodology as well as problem areas.

Each School is made up of a number of Centres which constitute the task forces operating within the broader framework of the School and are basically problem oriented. The Centre of a. study is defined as a community of scholars irrespective of their discipline engaged in interdisciplinary pursuits in areas of mutual interest. As the number of faculty members belonging to a particular discipline grows gradually making the group viable and as curricular programmes for post-graduate and under-graduate levels develop, departments would logically emerge on the scene. The organizational form of academic and research programmes of the University has been planned in a manner to facilitate the attainment of its academic objective. Towards this end there is inbuilt flexibility in the Statutes and Ordinances of the University with a view to equipping Schools and Centres of Study with adequate freedom and flexibility in:

1. formulation and periodically updating courses;

2. laying down pattern of instruction and evalution of courses where faculty member(s) who have designed a course play(s) a predominant part; and

3. promoting academic linkages and collaboration both within and outside the University with a view to ensuring optimum utilization of rescources.

While giving desired freedom and flexibility to the Schools, the Ordinances provide adequate safeguards for making them accountable simultaneously to various bodies of the University under the overall control, direction and guidance of the Academic Council.

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The Schools and centres are clothed with adequate administrative and financial powers besides administrative and secretarial support with a view to facilitating time in their academic and research tasks. Dean of a School as the Principal administrative and academic officer is chosen from among the senior scholars of the School and holds office for a period of two years by rotation. He is ex-officio Chairman of the Board of Studies and Committee for Advanced Studies and Research of the School. It may be pertinent to add that even though these powers have been delegated to the Heads of Schools in discharge of their duties, in practice most of these powers are exercised through active participation of the faculty represented on various bodies like Centre, Committee for Advanced Studies and Research and Board of the School. Subject to budgetary provisions and to the extent of delegation, Dean exercises adequate financial powers to operate on Schools's budget.

One of the notable feature of the JNU is that most of the powers are reviewed periodically from time to time in order to remove any bottlenecks or hindrances which might have possibly crept in, in day- to-day functioning.

Annexure - I to this note lists academic, administrative and financial powers delelgated to the Schools of studies.

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