Fed up with the attitudes of vice-chancellors, the department of higher education is thinking of appointing IAS officers for the post to clean up the mess in the administration of state universities.
To begin with, the department may try it in Bangalore University first.
“There is a suggestion on this which is still under consideration. We need to discuss it with experts and place it before the higher education minister for approval,” department sources, requesting anonymity, said.
The state higher education minister CT Ravi has sought the opinion of the principal secretary of the department about appointing IAS officers as vice-chancellors, the sources said.
“The principal secretary is preparing a report on this and it will be submitted to the minister soon,” an official said. In the past, some IAS officers were appointed as vice-chancellors and they ran the university administration successfully.
Bangalore University had two senior IAS officers as vice-chancellors, TR Jayaraman and Ramachandran. Jayaraman served as vice-chancellor for seven months from March 3, 1966 to October 9, 1966. Again in 1977, he served as the university’s vice-chancellor from August 10, 1977 to January 27, 1981. Ramachandran served as vice-chancellor from October 13, 1969 to December 14, 1969.
Professors of the university say there were no politics or internal fights when IAS officers were appointed as vice-chancellors. “I was the student of this university when TR Jayaraman was the vice-chancellor. The university was free from controversy and its academic and administrative status was good,” said a professor on the condition of anonymity.
But some are critical of the plan by the higher education department. How can an administrative officer take academic decisions, they ask.
But the department has an answer for them. “There are two bodies in the university to advice the vice-chancellor. One is the academic council and the other is the syndicate. Both will have representatives from the university and colleges and they will advise the vice-chancellor all the time, “ a department official said.
If higher education wants to implement the plan effectively, the Karnataka State Universities Act (2000) must be amended. According to the existing act, only an eminent educationist can be appointed as vice-chancellor.
