Massive changes in state Higher Education Council on cards

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, October 28

The government is all set to make the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education (WBSCHE) a more powerful body and bring in engineering and other courses under it.
The government will bring a bill during the Winter Session of the Assembly. Established in 1995, WBSCHE is an apex body, which advises the government on higher education policies and also guides the 8 state universities.
After the bill is passed, West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) under which all the 58 private engineering colleges and 24 management colleges are affiliated, will become a member of the council. “We will try to make WBUT at ease with government intervention,” said an official of higher education ministry.
Apart from WBUT Bengal Engineering and Science University, Netaji Subhas Open University and West Bengal University of Fisheries and Animal Sciences will also become full time members of the council. “The council suggests and recommends academic matters to the universities. Since all universities are autonomous they have the freedom to accept or reject suggestions,” said a member of WBSCHE. “So far no technical or distance education university was a member of the council. It has long been felt that all state universities should become member and this will be done now,” he added.
Apart from four universities the state college service commission would also become a member of the council. “The state college service commission is in charge of recruiting and filling up vacancies. If the commission becomes a member the state could resolve problems in recruiting teachers,” said another member of WBSHEC.
The Council will now also now look after self-financing postgraduate courses in colleges. “Colleges with good infrastructure offer self finance post graduation courses. But the government has received complaints regarding fee structure, lack of infrastructure and teachers. Since the colleges were under the university and not directly under the council so we could not do anything,” said an official of the higher education ministry. “But now the council along with the university will affiliate these courses and the council will monitor them. The state feels that the universities are not always equipped to take care of the self finance courses and we can act as the helping hand,” he added.
The WBSCHE is also scheduled to get a permanent chairman. Till now the higher education minister acted as the ex-officio chairman. The ministry felt that a full time chairman would ensure that the council works smoothly and tackles problems without waiting for the minister.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com