CM for students’ unions in private colleges

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, September 27, 2007
FORMING STUDENTS unions in private engineering colleges in the state is a strict no-no but the scenario will change if chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has his way.
Speaking at a rally of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Bhattacharjee said: “There should be students’ representation in the administration of all private engineering colleges in the state. I will take steps to make it happen.”
The 58 private engineering colleges, which are affiliated with the West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT), does not have any provision for students’ representation in its governing body. The WBUT too does not have any such provision.
“The act that led to the formation of the university does not have any provision to allow students’ representation in the executive council or in the governing body of affiliated colleges. To make that happen, the Assembly will have to amend the act,” said A. R. Thakur, WBUT vice-chancellor.
Apart from the WBUT, the National University of Juridical Sciences, Health University and Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur does not have any provision for students’ representation in its executive council, which the state now wants to amend.
“Calcutta University, Jadavpur University and all other state universities have students’ representation in its administration. None of them have been harmed by it. On the contrary, it has been a big help. We are open to it,” said Thakur.
The union move has been a long-time demand of the SFI. “We feel that all education institutions must have democratic environment for both students and teachers. However, that is not the case with private engineering colleges. The administration should understand that the institution belongs to the students too,” said Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI.
With students’ representation missing in private engineering colleges, they do not have any forum to voice their opinion or register complaints. “Absence of students’ representation makes the administration-student relation similar to that between an owner and a labourer. The students cannot raise their voice about infrastructure problem or any other issue. In case they do so they face disciplinary action. Why should they tolerate this injustice,” asked Sengupta.
The SFI leadership said students’ union has its positive effect. “We often hear of students ransacking private engineering colleges to protest against lack of infrastructure. If there is a union the students will become more responsible and restrained. They will learn how to address an issue and the college administration too will understand what students want,” said Sengupta.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com