Truncated ECs run the show in Telangana varsities
Despite nearly two years in power, the Telangana Congress government has failed to constitute full-fledged Executive Councils (ECs) for the State universities. Except for the Kakatiya University, no State conventional and technical university has a full-fledged EC.
Hyderabad: Despite being in power for nearly two years, the Telangana Congress government has failed to constitute full-fledged Executive Councils (ECs) for the State universities. This has resulted in more than 10 universities currently functioning with truncated ECs, raising concerns about the quality of governance and decision-making.
For any university, the EC is the highest decision-making body. Yet, the universities are run by only the Vice Chancellor and three bureaucrats, with two from the Education department and one from the Finance department serving as ex officio members, whereas the EC is complete, with members drawn from various fields.
Except for the Kakatiya University, no State conventional and technical university has a full-fledged EC. For instance, Osmania University, the oldest university in the State, has been awaiting a full EC for the last year.
Presently, OU Vice Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram, Education Secretary Dr Yogita Rana, Commissioner of Technical and Collegiate Education A Sridevasena, and Finance Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania are part of the University’s EC as against a 12-member panel.
Similar is the predicament of the Dr BR Ambedkar Open University, which has been waiting for a full-fledged EC for the past two years. The State government had only constituted KU’s EC as the varsity had to nominate an expert for the Vice Chancellor’s appointment.
“Although EC meetings are taking place, not much discussion is happening due to the absence of a full-fledged EC. The government should look into this issue and constitute the EC at the earliest,” said a Vice Chancellor, requesting anonymity.
Apart from the Vice Chancellor and ex officio members from the government, the EC composition includes members from diverse sectors such as social service, public life, colleges, and the university. These members provide necessary inputs from the ground, aiding the university in making better decisions in the interest of the stakeholders.
“The idea behind incorporating members from diverse fields is to enrich the EC meetings with information and knowledge, making discussions richer. Due to truncated ECs, the universities will be deprived of advice from experts in various fields. This is not good for any university in the long run,” said Prof. T Tirupati Rao, former Vice Chancellor of Osmania University.
Further, the truncated ECs have also cast a shadow on the autonomy of the universities as they are now being dominated by the bureaucrats, as ex officio members, who might call the shots in the university matters.
“Any important decision in the university has to be taken by the EC, and OU has not had a full EC for the last year. Decisions on the recruitment might not have legal standing due to truncated EC,” said Prof. B Manohar, president of Osmania University Teachers Association.
According to TGCHE official sources, nine universities have been operating with truncated ECs, and two universities- RGUKT and Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University – do not have an EC at all. “The legislative Acts of RGUKT and Women’s University need to be changed before constituting ECs,” sources added.
