Varsity governance: Picking the best

The highest governing body of a university is variously called the Syndicate, Executive Council, Board of Management (BOM), Board of Governors (BOG), etc., as per the given university Act. Therefore, their members must possess high competency, honesty, integrity, and concern and commitment towards higher education and the institutions that offer them (colleges and universities). As opined by Jawaharlal Nehru, all is well with the nation if all is well with its universities. That all is not well with our varsities is common knowledge now. This is the saddest moment in the history of any state or India. To quote Nelson Mandela, you don’t need atomic bombs to ruin countries, you only need to rot its education.

This article is to sensitise the people who matter to ensure good health and effective governance of varsities in meeting the set goals of the nation: self-reliance and global citizenship. Governance and leadership go hand in hand. The governing bodies of universities are expected to exude social credibility. The expertise of such members must not only complement but also supplement that of the sitting vice chancellors. They must not only be helpful in furthering the overall functioning of the universities but also see that no wrong is done to anyone by the administration and at the same time help concretise vision for the future. As these members enjoy a higher status than varsity professors in terms of power and privilege, it is necessary that their standing in society is commensurate with the former. A clean track record, basic legal acumen and wisdom are essential to inspire both the employees of the institution and the public at large. In contrast, persons with poor reputation, lacking administrative and leadership skills and those belonging to political affiliations rarely become praiseworthy governing board members. Besides, they have the potential to demoralise and derail the entire institution and varsity management. Expecting justice or leadership from such members is a mirage.

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Several ex officio members like senior professors, deans, directors of collegiate education, and principals of affiliated colleges also find a place on university governing bodies. Further, a few members are nominated by the state government and the Chancellor/Visitor of the university. It is here that greater care needs to be exercised because the nominations made by the authorities concerned reflect their concern and intention. Unfortunately, often persons with connections to the power centres manage to get nominated to such apex bodies which makes the functioning of the governing bodies a mockery. In addition, the life of well-meaning vice chancellors may also become miserable. On the other hand, the nomination of eminent educationists, social workers, legal luminaries, technocrats, engineers and industrialists (highly accomplished persons) to such bodies can make a huge difference in the working of the entire university system and enhance its prestige.

More importantly, there is a need for a consistent and uniform policy for the constitution of governing bodies of universities and specifying their expected roles. As an example, let me allude to the recent circular from the Higher Education Department (GoK) which debars Syndicate members from chairing Local Inquiry Committees (LICs). Similar circulars were sent twice before and revoked. It is like scratching whenever there is an itch! Yet, every time such a circular is issued, my official stand taken over two decades ago on the issue stands vindicated. As a Syndicate member at Karnatak University in the late 1990s, I had moved a resolution saying that Syndicate members should not be made chairpersons of LICs because it amounts to making a member both an advocate and a judge. The resolution was sdefeated as no Syndicate member saw merit in it. Sensing the mood, the chairman of the Syndicate advised me to withdraw the proposal as it was certain to be defeated. I did not heed. I preferred the defeat.

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To conclude, the policy of constituting governing bodies for universities needs considerable thinking and incorporation of new ideas in the varsity Acts. The terms of reference pertaining to the envisioned role of governing body members should be made explicit in the Act/statute with a provision for midterm evaluation of these members as well as that of VCs to reveal their contributions and future plans and enable taking corrective measures. There should be scope for termination of services of contemptible members based on the review. Such members could be asked to relinquish the position so as to allow the entry of more useful members. Let us not forget that the destiny of any nation largely rests on the performance of its varsities. Therefore, the selection of governing body members is no different from cherry-picking. (Source: ‘Remodeling the Universities’ by S K Saidapur, Atlantic Publishers, Delhi, 2022).

(The writer is former vice chancellor, Karnataka University, Dharwad)