Drimi Chaudhuri & Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 8
For years, he has been honoured as ‘the first martyr’ of the Indian freedom struggle. On April 8, the day he was hanged 150 years back, Sepoy Mangal Pandey of 34th Bengal Native Infantry, however, remains mostly unsung.
While historians continue to squabble over his birthplace and his actual role in the Sepoy Mutiny, the state government and even the Army remained mostly aloof. Barring a few ceremonies, in different parts of the state, the 150th death anniversary of Pandey was hardly observed across the state on Sunday.
On March 29, 1857, Pandey attacked Sergeant-Major Hewson and Lieutenant Baugh inside the military barracks at Barrackpore. Although these are considered to be the first shots of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, even in the suburban area, about 25 km from the city, the name of Pandey is lost. A bronze bust of Pandey was installed in 2005 at the barracks where he spent his last days, presently housing the state Police Training College (PTC). The column on which the bust stands, bears the legend ‘Sepoy number 1446 of 34th regiment’ who ‘fired at British officers in broad daylight on 29 March, 1857’. The only other sign is a small park by the Hooghly, Mangal Pandey Udyan, named after him in 1978.
Although on Sunday morning, there have been ceremonies like drawing competitions for children; the indifference of the administration has left local residents annoyed. According to them, instead of squabbling over his actual place of birth — Balia or Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh —Pandey should be remembered for his deeds.
“Most locals had no idea how he looked until the figurine was instated. Our children know Pandey’s name, but are not clear about his contribution. It is the government’s job to run awareness campaigns,” said Rathin Sarkar, a local who has been visiting the park for years with fellow evening strollers. He complained that unlike the nearby Gandhi Ghat, where maintaining silence is mandatory, couples have turned the Mangal Pandey Udyan into a lovers paradise.
Inspector General (Training), and PTC in-charge, Gaurav Dutta, said steps are being taken to install a statue of Pandey by the Public Works Department under a banyan tree from which he was reportedly hanged. However, even though the legendary tree still stands, since it is within PTC premises, people are not allowed access. “According to local belief, the banyan tree was where Pandey was hanged, but no one is allowed to visit it because it is within the barracks. Since no one has seen it, the story about the tree continues to spin and at times verges on the absurd,” local resident Biren Chowdhury pointed out.
The scene at the office of Bijoli Kanti Mitra, chairman of Barrackpore municipality, was equally indifferent. “Since we remain busy with civic work, we hardly have time to think of such events. But we are sure the state administration or the Army personnel at Barrackpore have plans to organise events,” a senior official from Mitra’s office said.
The Army, however, was also aloof towards the event. According to Wing Commander R.K. Das, spokesman of the ministry of defence, in Kolkata said, “The Army does not have any ceremony to mark the event because Pandey was not from the Indian Army. However, the Union government has a plethora of programmes lined up to commemorate the event throughout the year.”
The only scheduled programme is by the non-gazetted police workers association, which falls under the office of Inspector General of Police (Control). The association plans to hold programmes till April 8 next year, including sports meets, health camps and various competitions for school children. The apathy of the state administration becomes more obvious with state school education minister Partha De oblivious about the day. While he was not aware what and how the schools planned to mark the day, he passed on responsibility to West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Board secretary Swapan Sarkar was equally indifferent. “We do not have any immediate plans to observe the day.” Sarkar said.
drimi.chaudhuri@hindustantimes.com
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Statewide SFI strike
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 8, 2007
While the SFI is hopeful that the students’ strike on April 9 will be a success, the students’ unions of the three streams in Jadavpur University (JU) — arts, science, and engineering and technology — will try to ensure normal attendance in the university.
Protesting the ransacking of the science club and the non-teaching staff union room on April 5 by some students after the students’ union election results were declared, the SFI called for the all-Bengal students’ strike. While students of all universities in Bengal have been asked to take part in the strike, only colleges in Kolkata will join in and schools have been exempted from the strike.
Incidentally, the SFI has lost in the elections held for the posts in all the streams, including the arts’ elections where they had not lost in the past 8 years. The Arts faculty Students’ Union (AFSU), Science Faculty Students’ Union (SFSU) and Faculty for Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU) have come together and has decided to foil the students’ strike on April 9.
“While the SFI chooses to remain silent about Nandigram, they do not hesitate to make an issue out of a small incident for which we were not responsible. This is nothing but a political gimmick, and they would not be able to stop students from attending classes on a false issue,” said Amit Chakraborty, spokes person of all the three students’ unions.
The SFI however feels that the strike will be a success. “All we want is that the culprits are identified and they face the toughest punishment,” said Anirban Ghatak, Kolkata district committee member of SFI.
The Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) has condemned the April 5 incident, but will not support the strike. “Instead we will organise a sit inside the campus, and if students turn up we will obviously take the classes,” said Keshab Bhattacharya, general secretary of JUTA.
The SFI will also hold a meeting on April 10 in campus with students, teachers and non-teaching staff from across the state to protest the incident.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, April 8, 2007
While the SFI is hopeful that the students’ strike on April 9 will be a success, the students’ unions of the three streams in Jadavpur University (JU) — arts, science, and engineering and technology — will try to ensure normal attendance in the university.
Protesting the ransacking of the science club and the non-teaching staff union room on April 5 by some students after the students’ union election results were declared, the SFI called for the all-Bengal students’ strike. While students of all universities in Bengal have been asked to take part in the strike, only colleges in Kolkata will join in and schools have been exempted from the strike.
Incidentally, the SFI has lost in the elections held for the posts in all the streams, including the arts’ elections where they had not lost in the past 8 years. The Arts faculty Students’ Union (AFSU), Science Faculty Students’ Union (SFSU) and Faculty for Engineering and Technology Students’ Union (FETSU) have come together and has decided to foil the students’ strike on April 9.
“While the SFI chooses to remain silent about Nandigram, they do not hesitate to make an issue out of a small incident for which we were not responsible. This is nothing but a political gimmick, and they would not be able to stop students from attending classes on a false issue,” said Amit Chakraborty, spokes person of all the three students’ unions.
The SFI however feels that the strike will be a success. “All we want is that the culprits are identified and they face the toughest punishment,” said Anirban Ghatak, Kolkata district committee member of SFI.
The Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA) has condemned the April 5 incident, but will not support the strike. “Instead we will organise a sit inside the campus, and if students turn up we will obviously take the classes,” said Keshab Bhattacharya, general secretary of JUTA.
The SFI will also hold a meeting on April 10 in campus with students, teachers and non-teaching staff from across the state to protest the incident.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Students get back IIT-JEE question papers
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 8, 2007
For the first time ever, students who had appeared for the IIT-JEE competitive exam got back their answer sheets.
This was done to bring more transparency in the examination system and help students increase their chances of getting into IITs without the help of coaching centres.
From this year onwards, students will get only two chances for appearing in the IIT-JEE exam — the year of taking the higher secondary exam and — the year immediately afterwards. Moreover, only students getting 60 per cent and above in their Class XII exams would be eligible to take the test. “By giving away the question papers it will help freshers and second-timers to better their chances of cracking the exam the next time around,” said A.K. Ghosh, chairman of IIT-JEE at IIT Kharagpur.
This years’ IIT-JEE also saw a change in format. Instead of three papers on Physics, Chemistry and Maths, each of two hours duration, this time only two exams of 3-hour duration were held combining all the 3 subjects. Earlier, students had to tick the correct answer on the question paper itself, which had to be submitted. This year, students were also provided with an Objective Response Sheet (ORS), which they had to submit after marking the correct answers.
The question paper will also be uploaded at the IIT-JEE website along with model answers within a few days. This will ensure that the students can immediately find out how they could have fared in the exam. “Since we did not give back the question papers earlier, the mushrooming coaching centres used to cash in by selling students question papers, often of a dubious nature. From now on, students will have real question papers based on which they can prepare for the IIT-JEE. This is an attempt to curb the proliferation of coaching centres and help encourage students to prepare for themselves. Besides, it will also increase the transparency in the exam system,” said S.K. Dubey, director of IIT-Kharagpur.
The results of IIT-JEE are due on June 1 and counselling was scheduled to start from June 18 but the result may be delayed due to the stay order on OBC quota issued by the Supreme Court.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, April 8, 2007
For the first time ever, students who had appeared for the IIT-JEE competitive exam got back their answer sheets.
This was done to bring more transparency in the examination system and help students increase their chances of getting into IITs without the help of coaching centres.
From this year onwards, students will get only two chances for appearing in the IIT-JEE exam — the year of taking the higher secondary exam and — the year immediately afterwards. Moreover, only students getting 60 per cent and above in their Class XII exams would be eligible to take the test. “By giving away the question papers it will help freshers and second-timers to better their chances of cracking the exam the next time around,” said A.K. Ghosh, chairman of IIT-JEE at IIT Kharagpur.
This years’ IIT-JEE also saw a change in format. Instead of three papers on Physics, Chemistry and Maths, each of two hours duration, this time only two exams of 3-hour duration were held combining all the 3 subjects. Earlier, students had to tick the correct answer on the question paper itself, which had to be submitted. This year, students were also provided with an Objective Response Sheet (ORS), which they had to submit after marking the correct answers.
The question paper will also be uploaded at the IIT-JEE website along with model answers within a few days. This will ensure that the students can immediately find out how they could have fared in the exam. “Since we did not give back the question papers earlier, the mushrooming coaching centres used to cash in by selling students question papers, often of a dubious nature. From now on, students will have real question papers based on which they can prepare for the IIT-JEE. This is an attempt to curb the proliferation of coaching centres and help encourage students to prepare for themselves. Besides, it will also increase the transparency in the exam system,” said S.K. Dubey, director of IIT-Kharagpur.
The results of IIT-JEE are due on June 1 and counselling was scheduled to start from June 18 but the result may be delayed due to the stay order on OBC quota issued by the Supreme Court.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Teachers at JU condemn students attack on non teaching staffs
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 7, 2007
The Jadavpur University teachers held an emergency meeting on Saturday, condemning the students who ransacked the science club and workers’ union office.
More than 100 teachers were present at the meeting called by the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA). “We want the university to find out who are responsible for this mess. Such action from the students is really not welcome,” said K. Bhattacharya, general secretary of JUTA.
Bhattacharya said that the acts of arson and vandalism on Thursday night could never be acceptable as a mode of protest or form of student politics. “We are deeply disturbed that the science faculty students’ union has demanded the immediate dismissal of two members of JUTA on grounds that they attacked the students, which is completely false and unfounded. We demand immediate withdrawal of such demands.”
The teachers have now taken up the onus of educating the students and spreading peace. They will distribute leaflets to the students on Monday, giving out the message of peace and condemning the acts of vandalism. They will also organise a sit-in demonstration the same day.
The AIDSO has condemned the SFI’s decision to call a statewide students’ strike on Monday. “It is they who are responsible for whatever happened on Thursday. Now they are trying to hide their face behind this mask. They cannot accept the fact that they have lost the elections and are now trying to divert the media attention in a different direction. Since the SFI is at fault, we do not find any logic behind their calling a strike,” said Srabani Kundu, office secretary of AIDSO.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, April 7, 2007
The Jadavpur University teachers held an emergency meeting on Saturday, condemning the students who ransacked the science club and workers’ union office.
More than 100 teachers were present at the meeting called by the Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA). “We want the university to find out who are responsible for this mess. Such action from the students is really not welcome,” said K. Bhattacharya, general secretary of JUTA.
Bhattacharya said that the acts of arson and vandalism on Thursday night could never be acceptable as a mode of protest or form of student politics. “We are deeply disturbed that the science faculty students’ union has demanded the immediate dismissal of two members of JUTA on grounds that they attacked the students, which is completely false and unfounded. We demand immediate withdrawal of such demands.”
The teachers have now taken up the onus of educating the students and spreading peace. They will distribute leaflets to the students on Monday, giving out the message of peace and condemning the acts of vandalism. They will also organise a sit-in demonstration the same day.
The AIDSO has condemned the SFI’s decision to call a statewide students’ strike on Monday. “It is they who are responsible for whatever happened on Thursday. Now they are trying to hide their face behind this mask. They cannot accept the fact that they have lost the elections and are now trying to divert the media attention in a different direction. Since the SFI is at fault, we do not find any logic behind their calling a strike,” said Srabani Kundu, office secretary of AIDSO.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Friday, April 6, 2007
Tension prevails in JU campus
Mou Chakraborty and Saptarshi Banerjee
Kolkata, April 6, 2007
Despite Good Friday being a holiday, tension prevailed at the campus of Jadavpur University. There was an edgy calm and media persons were greeted with curious looks. Students were seen huddling together and questions to what happened on Thursday were met with blank and suspicious looks. Statements like, “We are not talking. Why don’t you talk to the authorities and various student union head,” were made to the media.
The trouble broke out after SFI lost the elections and continued till night in phases. Both the science club and the karmachari sansad were ransacked. The fire at the workers union started shortly after midnight. Initially, the fire brigade was not allowed to enter the campus, but good sense later prevailed.
Both the places, which is located just opposite the university’s central library was in a shambles. All glass panes on both the locations were broken. The doors were smashed; chairs and tables were scatted around the room. Even the computer monitors were not spared and pictures of Communist icons —Marx and Engels were lying on the floor. The blades of the fans were bent.
While the Jadavpur University authorities have promised a thorough internal probe, the police would conduct a parallel investigation to find out who actually carried out the vandalism on Thursday night.
Rajat Bandopadhyay, registrar of Jadavpur University said, “This is a work of a small section of students. We are also apprehending involvement of antisocial elements as well.” He said that around midnight the authorities received information that around 200 to 250 students had come out of the hostel with lathis and rods and were going towards the rail gate. The registrar added, “After sometime, we received information that they have entered the campus by overpowering the security guards. The guards were also taken hostage.” However no students have been identified because the incidents happened at night.
Bandopadhyay said, “The people who had lost the elections had earlier come to me to seek advice, as they were feeling insecure. I told them to stay outside the campus.”
Amit Chakraborty, the outgoing general secretary of FETSU said, “The SFI started the trouble with outsiders pitching in. These incidents have happened in the past also.” According to Chakraborty, the trouble started when the winners who had taken out a victory procession was stopped and attacked by two teachers and about 100 armed men from the workers union. He said, “The registrar is playing the role of a spectator. Six students of the winning group had to be hospitalised.” Chakraborty added that none of students affiliated to winning group have carried out the ransacking.
The SFI meanwhile has called a statewide Bengal students’ strike on Monday. Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI, said activists have started a sit-in demonstration in front of the JU campus from Friday evening. Sengupta said that they would continue with the demonstration till the guilty are identified and punished. The SFI leader said outsiders were also involved.
Parimal Debnath president of Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) said, “We will try to restore normalcy soon. We have also submitted a letter to the authorities saying that no teachers have played a role in the ransacking.”
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.comsaptarshi_banerjee@hotmail.com
Kolkata, April 6, 2007
Despite Good Friday being a holiday, tension prevailed at the campus of Jadavpur University. There was an edgy calm and media persons were greeted with curious looks. Students were seen huddling together and questions to what happened on Thursday were met with blank and suspicious looks. Statements like, “We are not talking. Why don’t you talk to the authorities and various student union head,” were made to the media.
The trouble broke out after SFI lost the elections and continued till night in phases. Both the science club and the karmachari sansad were ransacked. The fire at the workers union started shortly after midnight. Initially, the fire brigade was not allowed to enter the campus, but good sense later prevailed.
Both the places, which is located just opposite the university’s central library was in a shambles. All glass panes on both the locations were broken. The doors were smashed; chairs and tables were scatted around the room. Even the computer monitors were not spared and pictures of Communist icons —Marx and Engels were lying on the floor. The blades of the fans were bent.
While the Jadavpur University authorities have promised a thorough internal probe, the police would conduct a parallel investigation to find out who actually carried out the vandalism on Thursday night.
Rajat Bandopadhyay, registrar of Jadavpur University said, “This is a work of a small section of students. We are also apprehending involvement of antisocial elements as well.” He said that around midnight the authorities received information that around 200 to 250 students had come out of the hostel with lathis and rods and were going towards the rail gate. The registrar added, “After sometime, we received information that they have entered the campus by overpowering the security guards. The guards were also taken hostage.” However no students have been identified because the incidents happened at night.
Bandopadhyay said, “The people who had lost the elections had earlier come to me to seek advice, as they were feeling insecure. I told them to stay outside the campus.”
Amit Chakraborty, the outgoing general secretary of FETSU said, “The SFI started the trouble with outsiders pitching in. These incidents have happened in the past also.” According to Chakraborty, the trouble started when the winners who had taken out a victory procession was stopped and attacked by two teachers and about 100 armed men from the workers union. He said, “The registrar is playing the role of a spectator. Six students of the winning group had to be hospitalised.” Chakraborty added that none of students affiliated to winning group have carried out the ransacking.
The SFI meanwhile has called a statewide Bengal students’ strike on Monday. Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI, said activists have started a sit-in demonstration in front of the JU campus from Friday evening. Sengupta said that they would continue with the demonstration till the guilty are identified and punished. The SFI leader said outsiders were also involved.
Parimal Debnath president of Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) said, “We will try to restore normalcy soon. We have also submitted a letter to the authorities saying that no teachers have played a role in the ransacking.”
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.comsaptarshi_banerjee@hotmail.com
Thursday, April 5, 2007
SFI loses more seats in JU elections
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, April 5, 2007
The consequences of the Nandigram firing last month are being felt by the CPI(M) even at the college and university level. The student wing of the party, SFI has lost the student elections in Presidency College and now it has been virtually wiped out in Jadavpur University.
On Thursday, the SFI lost all 4 students’ union panel seats in the science faculty and 5 seats in the engineering faculty in JU. Earlier, it had lost its 8-year-old grip over the arts faculty after having lost in the elections held on March 28. The SFI however, had something to cheer about, after they bagged all 38 seats in the elections held in South City College on Thursday.
SFI leaders admitted in private that the controversial land acquisition policy of the state government in Singur and the carnage in Nandigram were the principal causes of the setback. At least, students belonging to the elite colleges in Kolkata have given the thumbs down to the state policy.
“The students have definitely not liked the rude stance that the SFI had taken over the Nandigram issue. They have only remained the mouthpiece of their parent party and have never tried to understand nor answer the questions being asked by students about the atrocities on small farmers,” said Proloy Kumar Saha, outgoing general secretary of the Science Faculty Students’ Union, which will once again be controlled by ‘We the Independent’.
Of the 72 class representative (CR) seats in the science faculty, ‘We the Independent’ bagged 67 seats, while 2 seats went to AIDSO and only 3 went to SFI. In the engineering faculty elections, out of 160 CR seats — Democratic Students Front (DSF) got 158 seats — where as, SFI managed only 2 seats.
“Most students who take admission in JU are good students and think independently. The verdict given by the students in all the three faculties — arts, science and engineering — shows that students have rejected the land policy adopted by the Left Front government,” said Amit Chakraborty of DSF.
Meanwhile, the SFI ascribed its defeat in JU to organisational failure. “We will definitely come back. What we need to do is make students understand that the state policy to set up more industries will only brighten the future of the students. Even, those who are mouthing anti-land acquisition and anti-industrialisation slogans will have to scout for jobs once they are out of the university. This time students belonging to different political colours have come together to oppose us. We just need to make students see the real picture,” said Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI.
The elections however, did not end on a peaceful note. After winning the election, students had taken out a victory rally within the campus, when they clashed with a section of the non-teaching staff.
“The non-teaching staff union is run by the CPM and obviously they could not tolerate our success. When we took out our victory rally they came out with rods and attacked us. Seven students were injured and had to be admitted to Arobindo Sheba Kendra,” alleged Saha.
The SFI however had a different version: “Out of joy they lost all sense and attacked some members of the non-teaching staff. This hooliganism is not expected from students and it is clear that they will not make the right use of their power,” said Sengupta.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, April 5, 2007
The consequences of the Nandigram firing last month are being felt by the CPI(M) even at the college and university level. The student wing of the party, SFI has lost the student elections in Presidency College and now it has been virtually wiped out in Jadavpur University.
On Thursday, the SFI lost all 4 students’ union panel seats in the science faculty and 5 seats in the engineering faculty in JU. Earlier, it had lost its 8-year-old grip over the arts faculty after having lost in the elections held on March 28. The SFI however, had something to cheer about, after they bagged all 38 seats in the elections held in South City College on Thursday.
SFI leaders admitted in private that the controversial land acquisition policy of the state government in Singur and the carnage in Nandigram were the principal causes of the setback. At least, students belonging to the elite colleges in Kolkata have given the thumbs down to the state policy.
“The students have definitely not liked the rude stance that the SFI had taken over the Nandigram issue. They have only remained the mouthpiece of their parent party and have never tried to understand nor answer the questions being asked by students about the atrocities on small farmers,” said Proloy Kumar Saha, outgoing general secretary of the Science Faculty Students’ Union, which will once again be controlled by ‘We the Independent’.
Of the 72 class representative (CR) seats in the science faculty, ‘We the Independent’ bagged 67 seats, while 2 seats went to AIDSO and only 3 went to SFI. In the engineering faculty elections, out of 160 CR seats — Democratic Students Front (DSF) got 158 seats — where as, SFI managed only 2 seats.
“Most students who take admission in JU are good students and think independently. The verdict given by the students in all the three faculties — arts, science and engineering — shows that students have rejected the land policy adopted by the Left Front government,” said Amit Chakraborty of DSF.
Meanwhile, the SFI ascribed its defeat in JU to organisational failure. “We will definitely come back. What we need to do is make students understand that the state policy to set up more industries will only brighten the future of the students. Even, those who are mouthing anti-land acquisition and anti-industrialisation slogans will have to scout for jobs once they are out of the university. This time students belonging to different political colours have come together to oppose us. We just need to make students see the real picture,” said Sudip Sengupta, state president of SFI.
The elections however, did not end on a peaceful note. After winning the election, students had taken out a victory rally within the campus, when they clashed with a section of the non-teaching staff.
“The non-teaching staff union is run by the CPM and obviously they could not tolerate our success. When we took out our victory rally they came out with rods and attacked us. Seven students were injured and had to be admitted to Arobindo Sheba Kendra,” alleged Saha.
The SFI however had a different version: “Out of joy they lost all sense and attacked some members of the non-teaching staff. This hooliganism is not expected from students and it is clear that they will not make the right use of their power,” said Sengupta.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Central panel to monitor academic bodies
Mou Chakraborty,
Kolkata, April 3, 2007
The Centres’ move to form a panel to regulate autonomous accrediting bodies for academic institutions has met with rumblings. The move, academicians feel will harm autonomy.
The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) plans to move a bill to form the National Monitoring and Coordinating Board for Accreditation’ (NMCBA), which will monitor the functioning of autonomous wings like National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), National Board of Accreditation (NBA), the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The MHRD has sent the draft bill to all apex bodies for their comments. The bill according to many officials of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) will mean its death sentence. “We want the Centre to have a re-look,” said Professor V. S. Prasad, director of NAAC. If this bill is passed, all accreditation agencies will have to take recognition from the NMCBA. The board will be given the authority of monitoring assessment and accreditation of all higher education institutes. It will also control the purse strings of all agencies.
The proposed bill, according to many educationists, is an attempt by the Centre to curb the powers of all autonomous higher education assessment agencies. “How can the Centre forget that education is still under the concurrent list and the ground reality in every state is different? At a time when we need decentralisation, the Centre is trying to gain complete control over higher education,” said an official of the AICTE.
Many do not like the composition of NMCBA and feels that the Centre wants complete control over accrediting agencies. “The very existence of this board will be in conflict with that of the accreditation agencies. The composition of the board suggests complete bureaucratisation,” said a member of the UGC. However the chairman of UGC, Sukhadeo Thorat, feels it is still too early to comment. “I have just received a copy of the bill. After I go through it, we will send our comments to the MHRD,” he said.
The MHRD however has made it clear that the bill is not aimed at curbing powers from any organisation. “While going for higher education, students should know how a particular department of an institution ranks. Stand-alone accreditation bodies have their drawbacks and they cannot come out with such reports. This is where a central board can come into play,” said a high placed official of Higher Education Department of MHRD. “We want the academia to have a look at the draft bill and give us suggestions,” he added.
mou.chakraborty@yahoo.com
Kolkata, April 3, 2007
The Centres’ move to form a panel to regulate autonomous accrediting bodies for academic institutions has met with rumblings. The move, academicians feel will harm autonomy.
The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) plans to move a bill to form the National Monitoring and Coordinating Board for Accreditation’ (NMCBA), which will monitor the functioning of autonomous wings like National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), National Board of Accreditation (NBA), the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
The MHRD has sent the draft bill to all apex bodies for their comments. The bill according to many officials of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) will mean its death sentence. “We want the Centre to have a re-look,” said Professor V. S. Prasad, director of NAAC. If this bill is passed, all accreditation agencies will have to take recognition from the NMCBA. The board will be given the authority of monitoring assessment and accreditation of all higher education institutes. It will also control the purse strings of all agencies.
The proposed bill, according to many educationists, is an attempt by the Centre to curb the powers of all autonomous higher education assessment agencies. “How can the Centre forget that education is still under the concurrent list and the ground reality in every state is different? At a time when we need decentralisation, the Centre is trying to gain complete control over higher education,” said an official of the AICTE.
Many do not like the composition of NMCBA and feels that the Centre wants complete control over accrediting agencies. “The very existence of this board will be in conflict with that of the accreditation agencies. The composition of the board suggests complete bureaucratisation,” said a member of the UGC. However the chairman of UGC, Sukhadeo Thorat, feels it is still too early to comment. “I have just received a copy of the bill. After I go through it, we will send our comments to the MHRD,” he said.
The MHRD however has made it clear that the bill is not aimed at curbing powers from any organisation. “While going for higher education, students should know how a particular department of an institution ranks. Stand-alone accreditation bodies have their drawbacks and they cannot come out with such reports. This is where a central board can come into play,” said a high placed official of Higher Education Department of MHRD. “We want the academia to have a look at the draft bill and give us suggestions,” he added.
mou.chakraborty@yahoo.com
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