Government hints at changes in varsities' law to clip Governor's powers

Bengaluru: Higher Education Minister Dr MC Sudhakar on Wednesday hinted about bringing the Gujarat Model into University administration in the state, mainly by snatching the powers of the Governor. 

Talking about the amendments proposed to the Karnataka State Universities (KSU) Act 2000, the minister said that in Gujarat, as far as university administration is concerned the governor is restricted only for the Convocation. 

“The amendments we have proposed have nothing to do with the ones recently cleared in the Cabinet for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University. Amendments we are proposing will be applicable to the universities that fall under KSU Act including Visvesvaraya Technological University,” he said.

“The Prime Minister of this country is giving Gujarat as an example for everything, why don’t we follow them when it comes to university administration?,” Sudhakar said.

Sudhakar said that the bill is likely to be placed before the upcoming winter session of the state legislature. 

“Once we receive legal opinion we will place the bill before the Cabinet for approval after which it will be tabled before the legislature,” he added.

The bill also discusses revising the tenure of the vice chancellors. Refusing to reveal much about it, Sudhakar said, “The amendments proposed in the bill pertain several issues including the term of the vice-chancellors and accountability. I don’t want to comment further about it as we are sending it to the Law department.”