Statutory bodies’ elections in varsities will have to wait

MUMBAI: Public universities in Maharashtra will not be able to conduct admissions for their governing bodies for the second year in a row.

MUMBAI: Public universities in Maharashtra will not be able to conduct admissions for their governing bodies for the second year in a row.

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With the state government failing to enact the new universities bill, it is likely to extend its embargo on elections for various posts of senate, academic council, management council and other statutory bodies at the universities, till August 2017.

The universities will have to rely on ad-hoc bodies, consisting of vice-chancellor’s nominees, for decision-making.

Last year, when the statutory bodies were dissolved after their year-long term ended on August 31, the state government issued a government resolution (GR), directing the universities not to conduct fresh elections for the vacant posts and let the governing bodies function through their nominated and ex-officio members (office-bearers). The GR will become ineffective this month-end.

“The government will take a decision to extend the embargo in the next cabinet meeting. It’s a temporary measure before the new universities act is passed in the winter assembly session,” said a state government official.

The universities bill was first introduced in the state assembly on the last day of winter session last November. It couldn’t see light of the day as there was no time left to discuss it. The government planned to enact the bill through an ordinance, but instead, reintroduced it in the assembly in March, with some changes.

On the insistence of the opposition, the government formed a committee consisting of leaders from all major political parties to study and recommend changes in the bill. With the committee meeting only thrice till now, the bill couldn’t be introduced in the monsoon session which ended earlier this month.

What was a temporary measure to allow the state’s public universities to transition from the current Maharashtra Universities Act, 1994, to the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, will result in the state universities working with the help of a truncated senate, academic council and management council for two consecutive years.

The decision has irked former elected representatives, who said it will give “free hand” to vice-chancellors. “In the absence of elected representatives, who will highlight the issues of university and higher education? It seems that the government is buying time to allow its student wing members to prepare for elections,” said Sanjay Vairal, a former senate member.