Page 20 - EW April 2025

Education News

benefit of students from backward the state’s under-funded 32 public
districts of Karnataka which has a universities — of whom only seven
low gross enrollment ratio (GER),” are sufficiently well-reputed to be
they wrote, while presenting an ac- included in the EW Government
tion plan for the nine universities to University Rankings 2025-26 league
start self-financing (full-fees) study table (see pg. 78).
programmes to augment revenue. Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru)
Dr. Chetan Singai, Professor
and Dean at the School of Law, Gov- TAMIL NADU
ernance & Public Policy, Chanakya
University, Bengaluru, entertains no Hollow lament
doubt that the two-year-old Congress
government’s decision to shutter amil nadu’s 24 state government
the new universities is rooted in universities are experiencing a
mismanagement and misdirection of Tdeepening financial crisis ad-
the relatively wealthy state’s revenue versely impacting academic standards
(Rs.2.57 lakh crore in 2024-25) to and institutional stability. Years of
fund “populist schemes”. “These underfunding, financial mismanage-
universities on the chopping block ment, and bureaucratic interference
are sited in educationally backward have made it difficult for them to “sus-
districts. They were established tain even basic operations”.
to provide students living in these On the eve of Republic Day on
areas access to higher education, as January 25, R.N. Ravi, Tamil Nadu’s indicating widespread financial mis-
many of them were forced to migrate Governor and ex-officio Chancellor of management and regulatory lapses.
to higher education institutions in all government universities statewide “State-run universities are under
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and highlighted their plight, lamenting tremendous stress. No corpus funds
Tamil Nadu. NEP 2020 directs state that many universities are operating are left with them. Nearly 60 percent
governments to establish a university with less than 50 percent of sanc- of permanent staff have retired over
in every district to provide youth in tioned faculty due to prolonged fi- the past five to six years. Out of 400
tier-II and tier-III cities and rural nancial neglect. This alarming faculty vacancies, only 120 have been filled.
areas employment-oriented higher shortage has cast a shadow over the Political and bureaucratic interference
education programmes, not neces- future of higher education in the state, in university functioning has badly af-
sarily to evolve into big-budget he said. fected the system,” says A. Ramach-
research universities. The state gov- Among the worst affected is the andran, emeritus professor and for-
ernment is being hasty in wanting University of Madras (estb.1857). Last mer director of the Centre for Climate
to shut down these new universities. December, faculty members staged Change and Disaster Management at
Instead, it should prepare a five-year protests against the state govern- Anna University.
vision plan to develop infrastructure, ment’s higher education allocation of Although academics lament the
recruit faculty, etc in these universi- a mere Rs.7.59 crore as a block grant funds crunch that’s debilitating state
ties. But to implement this plan, it — an amount grossly insufficient to government-run universities and
has to practice prudent financial bridge the deficit of Rs.132.33 crore excoriate faculty vacancies, they are
management,” says Singai. for the academic year 2024-25. Ear- loath to discern a connection be-
bliged to raise the prices of milk, lier in February 2024, the Income Tax tween these phenomena. Even as
Oelectricity, metro fares, diesel to Department deducted Rs.12.5 crore Tamil Nadu’s budgetary allocation
fulfill its pre-election 2023 promises, from the university’s accounts due to as a percentage of the state’s GDP is
the state’s Congress government is alleged unpaid taxes. declining yearly, remuneration pack-
wedged between a rock and hard Likewise, Madurai Kamaraj Uni- ages of the professariate continue
place. As we go to press, deputy CM versity (MKU) is grappling with severe to swell. Professors’ pay and perks
Shivakumar has announced a new financial instability. At a recent senate are as per Central government Pay
plan for the nine universities to be council meeting, officials emphasised Commission norms and are several
merged with their parent universi- urgent need to generate alternative dozen multiples of India’s per capita
ties. But this band-aid solution revenue streams to sustain operations. income. Assistant professors are paid
doesn’t address the larger malaise of The university is also burdened with Rs.57,700-182,400 per month; as-
vacant faculty positions, poor quality over 6,000 pending audit objections sociate professor Rs.1.31-2.17 lakh;
of education and infrastructure in accumulated over the past 12 years, and professors Rs.1.44-2.18 lakh per

20 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2025