Syndicate members can't be part of local inquiry panels

A recent direction by the State government to the Bangalore University (BU) stated that the University Syndicate members cannot be a part of the Local Inquiry Committees (LIC) that recommend affiliations and seats to the colleges.

After facing scathing criticism for the manner in which the affiliation process of colleges was delayed by the Bangalore University this year, the move by the State government comes as a measure to ensure objectivity in the affiliation process.

Officials in the Higher Education Department said the direction was issued in the wake of allegations of abuse of power by a few Syndicate members, when it came to recommending affiliations to colleges. As per the government’s instructions to BU, the University will have to, from now on, include only subject experts as part of the LIC.

BU Vice-Chancellor Prof B Thimme Gowda said the varsity would follow the directions in constituting the Local Inquiry Committees, henceforth.

“Nowhere the Syndicate members are a part of LIC. It was only in BU that the procedure was being followed for the last couple of years. I did not want to change the procedure this year after my appointment, as there was not much time,” Prof Gowda said.

For pending affiliations to the BEd colleges and a few other colleges, the University will have to constitute about six committees this month. The formation of these committees would be according to the new directions of the government. However, if a Syndicate member or an Academic Council member is also a subject expert, then he would stand a chance to be a member of the LIC, the V-C added.