GENERAL CONSTITUTION UNDERLYING
 UNIVERSITY ORGANISATION
 

The preamble to the Acts establishing the first Presidency Universities of, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857, stated that the primary function of the universities was to "encourage" education and to grant degrees on the basis of proficiency determined by examinations:

Whereas, for the better encouragement of Her Majesty's subjects of all classes and denominations...in the pursuit of a regular and liberal course of education, it has been determined to establish a University...for the purpose of ascertaining, by means of examination, the persons who have acquired proficiency in different branches of Literature, Science and Arts, and of rewarding them by Academic Degrees as evidence of their respective attainments, and marks of honour proportioned thereunto; and whereas, for effectuating the purpose aforesaid, it is expedient that such university should be incorporated: it is enacted as follows".

These Presidency Universities were instituted as primarily examination conducting bodies on the model of the University of London as it then was; and though the London University underwent almost a redical transformation soon after, the Indian universities continued to function largely on their original basis.

The University Acts of 1857 laid down the pattern of administration in Indian universities; they provided for a Chancellor, a Vice-Chancellor and a body of Fellows. The Chancellor's office was ex-officio. The Vice-Chancellors were honorary; they were appointed for a term of two years by the Governor-General in Council in Calcutta and by Governor in Council in Madras and Bombay. Broadly the administrative arrangements of Indian universities have retained the pattern established in 1857, although important changes have been made in the first universities themselves and in the universities established later.

General Organisational Pattern

The following is in general the organisational pattern of universities in India:

The three main "authorities" of the universities are (a) the Court; in some universities this body is called the Senate; (the word "Court" in this report will apply to the Senate also); (b) the Executive Council; in some universities this body is called the Syndicate;(the words "Executive Council"

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in this report will apply to the Syndicate also) ; and (c) the Academic Council. These consist of ex-officio, elected, and nominated members. The other authorities in many universities are the Faculties, the Boards of Studies, the Finance Committee and the Selection Committee.

The principal officers of a University are the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar. Other officers are Pro-Chancellor, Treasurer, Rector, Principal, Dean, Librarian and Proctor; all these however do not exist in all the universities. In the Central Universities, the Chancellor is elected, and most of the functions of the Chancellor in a State University arc performed by the Visitor. The Visitor in all Central Universities and in Rajasthan University is the President of India in an ex-officio capacity. In most State universities the Governor of the State is ex-officio Chancellor of the universities in the State. Vice-Chancellors are the academic and executive heads of universities and are in all cases except Bombay, Nagpur and Poona whole-time salaried officers.

In the "Agricultural Universities" established in recent years a different pattern of administration has been provided, to suit their more limited and compact character.

Different Types of Universities

The universities in India today fall into two broad types. (The second of these is capable of being again sub-divided into two kinds). The first type is the oldest, following the model established by the Presidency Universities under the Acts of 1857. This is the affiliating type of university which in the beginning was doing no more than prescribing syllabuses and holding examinations for students in affiliated colleges which were wholly responsible for teaching. But during the last 40 years even these universities have developed postgraduate teaching departments and research centres. Calcutta and Madras are universities of this type. They function in two parts- teaching and examining. The teaching part is concentrated generally at the headquarters or at one or two centres. The university exercises control in varying measure over the large number of affiliated colleges, which are scattered over several thousands of square miles, to secure certain minimum conditions, but this main service it renders is still that of providing syllabuses and holding examinations. Several of the new universities are also of the affiliating type although from the very beginning they have had a teaching and research side also. Andhra and Kerala are examples of this.

The second type is a unitary or a federal university. Both unitary and federal universities are restricted to a single town or its immediate neighbourhood. In a unitary university almost the entire teaching is done by the university in its own departments and as far as possible students reside on the campus. The federal type is a variation of this; while this is also restricted to a town, there are a number of colleges which work under the

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direction of and in cooperation with the university as constituent members. Delhi is an example of a federal university, while among the unitary universities may be mentioned Allahabad, Annamalai, Banaras and Visva-Bharati.

Two Important Considerations

As already stated constitutions by themselves cannot ensure a good Organisation, and written constitutions, need the support of good conventions. While the committee is offering certain suggestions as guides for improving and modifying the organisational pattern, it is convinced that the proper functioning of a university depends on the all-round acceptance of two basic principles. These are autonomy for universities from external control together with a democratic administrative system, and effective participation of the academic community in the formation and implementation of university policy and programmes.

Autonomy for a university is not a matter of fundamental right as it were, but is a condition for its efficient functioning and for enabling it. to achieve the true ideals and aims of a university. A university needs autonomy if it is to discharge properly its functions and obligations to society and play an effective part in the development and progress of the country. Universities which are established by law can have only the rights given to them by that law; but if the university is to foster and stand 'for humanism, for tolerance, for reason, for progress, for the adventure of ideas and for the search of truth', it must be an "autonomous institution". An autonomous institution may not always achieve these ideals; but it is certain that a university which is not autonomous is hardly likely ever to achieve these great objectives. Autonomy does not mean isolation or aloofness from national purposes or a claim for some superior status or position; but it does imply that the university ought not to be harnessed for securing regimentation of ideas or drawn into the ambit of party or power politics.

The second principle of importance is that the university constitution should place certain responsibilities clearly and squarely upon the academic staff. Autonomy from external control is important, but it is equally or even more important that the administration internally is not autocratic or bureaucratic and insensitive to the real needs and interests of the academic community (staff and students). The university above all is a community of teachers and students dedicated to the common pursuit of learning. If such a community is to discharge adequately its duties to itself and the nation, its governance of the university must essentially be in its own hands. The teachers should have in practice an effective voice in the determination of the policies and the management of the affairs of the university; their participation should be real and meaningful and not merely formal and constitutional. The committee recognised that parti-

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cipation of the layman in university policy-making and in administration is also important and very desirable, but if the university is to derive real benefit from such association, the representation of the academic community on the various bodies of the university should be effective and adequate.

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