Governance of Indian Universities From decay to dynamism?

Abstract

India with a current student population of around 4 million in its universities and colleges is the third largest system in the world after USA and USSR. The unprecedented expansion of higher education in India, which took place in the last four decades, has, however, been extremely uneven and resulted in the neglect of quality, research and managements aspects. The universities and colleges function much below their optimal levels and fail even to fulfil their minimum and basic tasks such as making admissions, completing teaching, conducting examinations, declaring results and awarding degrees on time. The very credibility of the university system stands eroded.

Increasing government control, extra-constitutional pressures in their governance, appointment and dismissal of Vice-Chancellors on political considerations and drift of the academic community from serious academic pursuits have undermined the autonomy of the universities. The paper attempts to analyse from macro-micro angles the causes for the decay of the university system.

The National Policy on Education-1986 aims at radical reorganisation of higher education to bring about dynamism in the system through multi-pronged strategies and programmes and structural reforms. Policy interventions have, however, failed to create much impact. The paper brings forth some of the important issues vital to the governance of the universities and highlights the need for a collective endeavour of teachers, students, educational administrators and government and rigorous system of performance audit to bring dynamism into the system.