Academicians welcome transfers between varsities

Government must ensure they do not affect research work

The State government’s move to allow inter-university transfer of teachers by setting up a board for the purpose has been welcomed by many former and serving vice chancellors.

However, some of them opine that the transfers have to be effected in such a way that it does not affect research activities.

V G Talawar, former VC, University of Mysore, said that though it is good on the part of the government to transfer teaching staff from one university to another, it needs to ensure that it would not hamper research works. In case, the new place offers them the similar facilities for pursuing research, the proposal could be welcomed.

Echoing similar sentiments,Dr S K Saidapur, former VC, Karnatak University, Dharwad, said transferring teachers from one university to other may not create problems for social science faculty but may pose problems to science professors engaged in research.

Transfer to an university that does not has a laboratory suitable for their research may affect their research work, he opined.

K Chidananda Gowda, former VC, Kuvempu University, Shimoga, said “transfers on special occasions could be accepted, but not the general transfers that happen during the particular time every year.”

VC of an university in the State, who did not wish to be quoted, said inter-university transfer is nothing new as there is a mention of the same in the Karnataka Universities Act, 2000. However, the Act says that such transfers may be done only in rare cases.

End to vested interests

“It is a good idea. The inter-university transfers will put an end to vested interests in the universities. It is also better to have University Education Service, on the lines of UPSC or Directorate of Collegiate Education, so that it will encourage harmony in universities,” said Prof K V Nagaraj, Pro vice chancellor, Assam University, Assam.

Dr B R Ananthan, VC, Rani Channamma University, Belgaum, said if the faculty are settled down in one place forever, they may not have interest in teaching and instead may engage in unwanted activities and groupism.

Earlier, individual transfer from one university to another was allowed if the two varsities had no objections and, the Governor gave his nod for it. “As the additional staff of one varsity can be used to fill up vacant posts in another varsity under the new Bill, it is a welcome move,” he observed.