<p>Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, M R Srinivasan, regretted the inclusion of politicians in the Syndicate and other academic bodies of universities in the State. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“Universities enjoy very little autonomy and are subject to constant political and bureaucratic interference,” Srinivasan remarked in his address at the 47th annual convocation of Bangalore University (BU) on Thursday. <br /><br />The eminent nuclear scientist, who studied at BU’s constituent institute, the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) from 1946 to 1950, was referring to the non-implementation of a key recommendation made by a task force on higher education - to keep politicians out. He was the chairman of the task force formed by the State government in 2002. According to him, the task force found that universities had very little autonomy. <br /><br />“We strongly recommended that politicians be kept out of the Syndicate and other academic bodies,” he recollected. But unfortunately many governments changed after the report was submitted and very few recommendations were implemented, he lamented. <br /><br />The task force’s advice on setting up the Karnataka State Higher Education Council was also not implemented. The Council was to be a compact body of academics and experts in education. “But it emerged as a large body of bureaucrats, and encourages standardisation and uniformity, instead of promoting innovation or creativity,” the professor noted. <br /><br />Prof Srinivasan also lamented that the UVCE does not have a regular principal, but only a principal in-charge to look after admissions. He opposed the proposal to make UVCE part of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). He also did not favour establishing single-discipline universities, and running undergraduate and postgraduate courses on different campuses. <br /><br />He had a word of advice for the graduating students. “For success, one should be able to work with a team. One who cannot follow cannot lead. Be your own critic and not wait for someone to tell you how you could have done better. Develop the habit of listening and responding in a clear manner,” he said, endorsing the notion that Indians are shoddy at work. <br /><br />Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda gave away PhDs, and some of the gold medals. Vice-Chancellor N Prabhu Dev welcomed the gathering and briefed about the varsity’s activities. A total of 230 gold medals, 149 for postgraduates and 81 for undergraduates and 82 cash prizes (26 PGs and 56 UGs) were awarded. Besides, 131 PhDs were awarded. A total of 40,114 out of the 42,501 eligible students were awarded the degrees. <br /><br />Guv’s absence<br /><br />On the absence of Governor H R Bhardwaj at the convocation, Sadananda Gowda said he had some “urgent work” in Kerala. Hence, he could not attend the convocation. Gowda said he was unaware if Bhardwaj had rejected all the names proposed by BU for honorary doctorates.<br /><br />I am no puppet: DVS<br /><br />Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has strongly denied the notion that someone in the BJP pressured him to cancel his six-day foreign tour scheduled to begin on April 15 to attract investors to the State.<br /><br />“Nobody in the party pressured me to cancel the foreign tour. I do not need anybody’s advice. My inner voice is my adviser,” Gowda said when asked if he cancelled the foreign tour because of the criticism by B S Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />He was speaking to reporters after attending the 47th annual convocation of Bangalore University.<br />According to the chief minister, he does not act on someone else’s advice. “I’m not anybody’s puppet. I act on my own,” he said, dismissing the impression that he cancelled the tour because of Yeddyurappa’s criticism. <br /><br />In a statement in Gulbarga, Yeddyurappa had said that Gowda should cancel the tour as the State was under a severe drought. Gowda refused to react to media reports that claimed he took decisions on others’ advice. <br /><br />He welcomed the decision of the Maharashtra government to release two TMC water from Dudhganga and Varuna rivers to Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot, and Yadgir districts of Karnataka. The chief minister also said that he had written a letter to the Revenue Department to settle payment issues with Maharashtra for the release of water.</p>
<p>Former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, M R Srinivasan, regretted the inclusion of politicians in the Syndicate and other academic bodies of universities in the State. <br /><br /></p>.<p>“Universities enjoy very little autonomy and are subject to constant political and bureaucratic interference,” Srinivasan remarked in his address at the 47th annual convocation of Bangalore University (BU) on Thursday. <br /><br />The eminent nuclear scientist, who studied at BU’s constituent institute, the University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) from 1946 to 1950, was referring to the non-implementation of a key recommendation made by a task force on higher education - to keep politicians out. He was the chairman of the task force formed by the State government in 2002. According to him, the task force found that universities had very little autonomy. <br /><br />“We strongly recommended that politicians be kept out of the Syndicate and other academic bodies,” he recollected. But unfortunately many governments changed after the report was submitted and very few recommendations were implemented, he lamented. <br /><br />The task force’s advice on setting up the Karnataka State Higher Education Council was also not implemented. The Council was to be a compact body of academics and experts in education. “But it emerged as a large body of bureaucrats, and encourages standardisation and uniformity, instead of promoting innovation or creativity,” the professor noted. <br /><br />Prof Srinivasan also lamented that the UVCE does not have a regular principal, but only a principal in-charge to look after admissions. He opposed the proposal to make UVCE part of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). He also did not favour establishing single-discipline universities, and running undergraduate and postgraduate courses on different campuses. <br /><br />He had a word of advice for the graduating students. “For success, one should be able to work with a team. One who cannot follow cannot lead. Be your own critic and not wait for someone to tell you how you could have done better. Develop the habit of listening and responding in a clear manner,” he said, endorsing the notion that Indians are shoddy at work. <br /><br />Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda gave away PhDs, and some of the gold medals. Vice-Chancellor N Prabhu Dev welcomed the gathering and briefed about the varsity’s activities. A total of 230 gold medals, 149 for postgraduates and 81 for undergraduates and 82 cash prizes (26 PGs and 56 UGs) were awarded. Besides, 131 PhDs were awarded. A total of 40,114 out of the 42,501 eligible students were awarded the degrees. <br /><br />Guv’s absence<br /><br />On the absence of Governor H R Bhardwaj at the convocation, Sadananda Gowda said he had some “urgent work” in Kerala. Hence, he could not attend the convocation. Gowda said he was unaware if Bhardwaj had rejected all the names proposed by BU for honorary doctorates.<br /><br />I am no puppet: DVS<br /><br />Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has strongly denied the notion that someone in the BJP pressured him to cancel his six-day foreign tour scheduled to begin on April 15 to attract investors to the State.<br /><br />“Nobody in the party pressured me to cancel the foreign tour. I do not need anybody’s advice. My inner voice is my adviser,” Gowda said when asked if he cancelled the foreign tour because of the criticism by B S Yeddyurappa. <br /><br />He was speaking to reporters after attending the 47th annual convocation of Bangalore University.<br />According to the chief minister, he does not act on someone else’s advice. “I’m not anybody’s puppet. I act on my own,” he said, dismissing the impression that he cancelled the tour because of Yeddyurappa’s criticism. <br /><br />In a statement in Gulbarga, Yeddyurappa had said that Gowda should cancel the tour as the State was under a severe drought. Gowda refused to react to media reports that claimed he took decisions on others’ advice. <br /><br />He welcomed the decision of the Maharashtra government to release two TMC water from Dudhganga and Varuna rivers to Belgaum, Bijapur, Bagalkot, and Yadgir districts of Karnataka. The chief minister also said that he had written a letter to the Revenue Department to settle payment issues with Maharashtra for the release of water.</p>
