MUTA urges Centre to amend UGC Act - Academics should gain control over policy-making – The Hindu 27-09-2015
MUTA urges Centre to amend UGC Act
Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) urged the Centre to amend the University Grants Commission Act in consultation with All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation (AIFUCTO).
The association passed a resolution to this effect at its third academic conference on ‘Contemporary Issues in Higher Education’ at Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Chungankadai near here, on Saturday.
The other resolutions passed at the conference demanded revival of old pension scheme for teachers appointed after January 1, 2004, constitution of a pay review committee, ban on entry of foreign universities into India, regulation of research studies, withdrawal of the CBCS and Central University Bill, 2013, end to commercialisation of higher education, etc.
MUTA also demanded allocation of at least 10 per cent of the GDP for education as recommended by UNESCO.
It also demanded the Centre to establish more state-funded educational institutions with adequate infrastructure.
The association also urged the State government to make selection of Vice-Chancellors of universities transparent.
T.Manohara Justus, president, MUTA, presided over the conference. C.Retnasigamony, chairman, reception committee, welcomed the gathering.
V.Pasupathy, secretary, JAC-TANTSAC, S.Chandralekha, Principal, Sree Ayyappa College for Women, A. James William, former president, AIFUCTO, S.Subburaj, general secretary, MUTA, spoke.
Academics should gain control over policy-making
Academics should gain control over policy-making which is in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats now, according to Arun Kumar, former Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Inaugurating the third academic conference of Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association (MUTA) on ‘Contemporary Issues in Higher Education’ at Sree Ayyappa College for Women, Chungankadai near here, on Saturday, Dr. Arun Kumar said Vyapam-like scam was surfacing not only in Madhya Pradesh but also everywhere.
Even elite educational institutions such as the IIT and the IIMs were suffering due to interference by politicians and bureaucrats.
Commercialisation and marketisation had been accentuated a growing illegality in society. The negative features of our social system had led to a narrowing of horizons for citizens both in higher education and politics.
The negative features undermined generation of socially relevant knowledge and led to growing alienation both in society and in the field of education.
He expressed concern over separation of research from teaching, and said that both teaching and research should be integrated.
Society was at a loss of values and ideas. It did not place the onus on academics to produce socially-relevant knowledge instead of borrowing from the West. Educationalists did not want to accept the challenge of generating socially-relevant knowledge, he said.
Little creativity
Macaulay’s education policy resulting in Indian teaching-learning system was characterised by rote method with expectation of little understanding by the students. Teaching, learning and research progressed mechanically with little creativity, he lamented.
T.Nagarajan, organising secretary of the conference, proposed a vote of thanks.
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