Mumbai: Govt interference a ‘systematic attack on higher education’

Students, alumni of TISS say the move threatens academic and administrative freedom. File pic

The TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and four other deemed-to-be universities in the country will henceforth have their heads chosen by the central government rather than by their respective governing bodies like earlier. The government's decision, however, is perceived by TISS students and alumni as an effort to stifle the voices of these institutions and force them to conform. According to the University Grants Commission's (UGC) Institutions Deemed to be Universities Regulations, notified last month by the regulatory body, the government will appoint heads of the deemed universities that receive from government funds more than their own annual earnings.

As per the regulations, the vice-chancellors, directors and heads of TISS in Mumbai, the Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, the Gujarat Vidyapeeth in Ahmedabad, the Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science & Higher Education for Women in Coimbatore, and the Gurukula Kangri in Haridwar will now be appointed by the union education ministry.

According to a senior UGC official, the government and the UGC questioned officials from these five deemed to be universities regarding claims of financial mismanagement and problems with the implementation of reservations, and "they were not responding appropriately". "These five institutes have received significant funding from the government, but accountability issues remain. The VC appointed by the centre will be accountable to the government," the official said.

Speaking to mid-day, students and alumni of TISS said the move is an attempt to threaten the academic and administrative freedom and autonomy of the institute. According to Ramadas Prini Sivanandan, a research scholar in development studies at TISS who is also a Central Executive Committee Member and the Maharashtra state joint secretary of the Students Federation of India, the move is another attempt by the BJP government to stifle the autonomy of higher education institutes.

"I did read about it in news reports, but as of now, there is not much clarity… nothing is on record. The order has not come yet. So, to make an informed comment, we will need more clarity on the issue about whether there will be some level of autonomy left or it will be taken away completely," Sivanandan told mid-day.

He added, "Our experience has been of the government's repeated attempts to politically intervene in the academic autonomy of universities across India. We are not just looking at it as a move to limit or restrict the voices of students' movement, but also as an organised and systematic attack on higher education. This is part of a larger project to attack higher education since the BJP government came to power in the Centre… it is a question of quality education as well as the basic rights of the students. In this particular case, we would want things to get clear and wait for an official order."

Another student from the TISS Mumbai campus said, "Students of TISS have been very vocal about issues of attack on the autonomy of higher education institutes and on democracy and students' movements. More than making an institute head accountable to the government, the government is now directly interfering in the day-to-day functioning of the institute and also making rules. This is nothing but systematically silencing our voice."

An alumni of TISS, who passed out from the school of social sciences in 2020, said the autonomy given to the premier institute is threatened. "We don't know what will happen in the next few years from now, with the way things are changing. This is an attempt by the central government to make institutes which can raise voices against their policies fall in line… curb the democratic voices. It now remains to be seen how this can be prevented. It's just that when they (the government) couldn't stop the voices, they just throw them out by changing rules."

Congress General Secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter, hinting at how the current government is taking away the autonomy of TISS. He tweeted, "Although over the years the Government of India has become the mainstay of funding for the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), successive governments ensured its autonomy by allowing the Tata Trusts to nominate the Chairman of the Governing Board and allowing the Board to select the Director. Now the Government of India will appoint both the Chairman and the Director. We know what that means, especially in the field of social sciences."

There were some who supported the government's decision. Prof. Kapil Kumar, chair professor, Centre for Freedom Struggle & Diaspora Studies, IGNOU, tweeted: "As a member of the Board of Governors at TISS, I welcome this move!" Shubhendu @BBTheorist tweeted, "As an alumnus, I am very happy with this news! When more than 90 per cent of the funding of TISS comes from the central government, it is very reasonable that the government gets the power to appoint the Chancellor and the Director (vice-chancellor)."

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No of institutes to be affected