University of Pune senate okays Rs447-crore budget for 2012-13

The University of Pune, senate members on Sunday approved Rs446.99 crore budget for 2012-13 at a marathon meeting on Sunday.

The members raised doubts over recognition of Ahmednagar and Nashik regional centres of the varsity. They suggested some changes regarding reforms in examination department, construction of students’ hostel and quality improvement programme.

The meeting started with a one-hour question hour, took up the cut motion before lunch and deliberated over it for a long time.

Vice chancellor Sanjay Chahande, who tried his best to discipline the senate members, kept a hold of the meeting on both days.

The budget was presented by physics department faculty Pandit Vidyasagar on Saturday. Many members raised doubts over recognition and inadequate staff. The Ahmednagar centre was established in 1986, but has not been recognised by the government. Thus, the appointment of staff, its infrastructural development has been stalled for years. Vidyasagar said, “Since it has no recognition, it is difficult to develop the centre. We are looking for land for the centre.”

He said the estate department will have two branches: one will look at maintenance and other at construction.

Concerning examination reforms, he said a policy decision will be taken regarding appointment of contract employees in the department and computerisation.

To encourage research among professors, the university has allotted Rs20 lakh for research in various departments.

The members objected to under-utilisation of funds for various chairs in the university, to which Vidyasagar said a few chairs get grants from the government and thus it seems that the varsity has a surplus amount.