Telangana Higher Education Reforms-II: A mortal called Vice-Chancellor standing at the Chauraha ?

Hyderabad: What is it like officiating the office of the Vice-Chancellor in a state university?

If the goings-on are any indication, the experiences of several Vice-Chancellors who are expected to roll out new reforms say they are like those standing at a ‘Chauraha’ (a four-road junction), prepared to face brickbats from the government, faculty, and students.

Firstly, the government aims to ensure that education leads to gainful employment for students graduating from colleges and universities. As a result, universities have been compelled to incorporate employable skills into their programmes and have actively established new wings to prepare students for competitive examinations. These examinations include the Union Public Service Commission’s civil service examinations and state public service commission tests, such as Group I and II.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior professor from Social Sciences of Osmania University said, “This has drawn a good response from the students.” However, to get this coaching activity running, the State University V-Cs have to “convenience and cajole the faculty.” This is not exclusive to Osmania University, and it has gained ground across the state universities in both Telugu states for more than a decade or so, he added.

At the same time, there is significant resentment among the faculty, divided into two groups along conservative and liberal lines. The conservatives argue that it is not the university’s role to ensure that every student graduates from the university departments and colleges with a job. The charter given to the universities is to produce scholars and build a knowledge repository. Jobs are a bonus that come along, based on the academic achievements and hard work of the students passing out with degrees.

In contrast, the liberals insist that students should be able to secure stable lives upon completing their degrees. It is the V-Cs, who have to do the balancing act between the two to deliver.

When asked, a former V-C of a state university in Telangana explained that the first year out of the three-year term for which “we are appointed goes to understanding the systems to gain a comprehensive view of what new initiatives could be rolled out by considering different pending and new proposals from humanities, social sciences, foreign languages, science, and engineering, and figure out the requirements for the same.”

There are significant gaps in the infrastructure development needed to meet current demands. This includes the construction of new hostels, classrooms, and laboratories, procuring new equipment, and improvements to sports and recreational infrastructure. It’s the responsibility of the V-C to secure funding for these projects, which is no small task.

Gathering financial support from internal resources, the University Grants Commission, state government, and other funding agencies, and reaching out to alumni for both academic and non-academic purposes, can take a year or more.

Moreover, the V-C often faces challenges related to non-academic activities that can disrupt the university’s academic environment, all under the guise of “freedom of expression” and “democracy.”

Student activities often attract public attention because they are divided along ideological and political lines. What does not come under serious public discourse and scrutiny is the faculty members who have political and ideological beliefs which they attempt to promote on campus.

A University is the place where faculty and students engage in critical analysis of differing views, even those that are fundamentally opposed to one another. The goal should be to find the best options and solutions, whether through academic activities such as conducting studies and research or organising seminars, workshops, and study groups.

Unfortunately, the current situation often leads to individuals holding firmly to their positions, resulting in disruptions and tensions escalating to protests and sit-ins over issues that could be resolved through open discussion and negotiation.

For example, a retired senior professor from a Telangana state university was offered the ombudsman office under the UGC regulations in a central university outside Telangana. “I have had enough of all the politics while serving as the Vice-Chancellor. I want to focus more on productive and academic work than lose peace of mind,” he said.

Furthermore, he insisted that a culture change is necessary on the state university campuses, and all stakeholders must contribute to revitalising vibrant academic activities. Only a few V-Cs who secure a second term could be the ones who managed to make substantial improvements in both academic and non-academic areas. Otherwise, “a three-year term is simply insufficient for meaningful change. Therefore, I support the new UGC proposal to extend the V-C term to five years,” he clarified.