Trimester system mooted for Karnatak, Mysore varsities

Knowledge Commission suggests far-reaching reforms

Admission to PG courses in all disciplines will be only through entrance examinations. Besides, neither universities will be headed by a vice-chancellor.

Instead, a renowned scholar or a professional of repute will be the “visitor,” a new post created on the lines of Central universities.

These are some of the recommendations the Karnataka Knowledge Commission has made to upgrade the two universities. The Karnataka government proposed to develop Mysore University and Karnatak University as model varsities in its budget 2009-10.
On the government’s request, Knowledge Commission chairman K Kasturirangan appointed a three-member committee to recommend measures to upgrade the universities as model varsities.

The committee included Prof Rama Rao, chairman of Governing Council (ARCI), Prof N R Madhava Menon, Member, Commission on Centre-State Relations and Prof M S Thimmappa, former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University. Commission member-secretary M K Sridhar was the convener. The commission recently submitted the report to the government.

The committee studied the functioning and legislation of institutes such as the IISc, the Central Universities and National Law Schools to make the recommendations. The committee recommends separate legislation for the two universities. The university should be headed by a visitor, appointed by the governor for a five-year term.

The visitor will appoint president, who heads the board of governors (BoG)—the highest decision making body. The BoG will consist of 15 members. Eight will represent the academic community, including president and directors, three nominated by the government, one representing the industry, one  to represent civil society and the professionals and two to be co-opted by the BoG from among eminent members of the public with distinguished service in education. The visitor will head university court, which is advisory in nature.

It has recommended two broad governing systems—one related to research and post-graduate education and the other concerning management of standards of affiliated and autonomous colleges pursuing under-graduate courses.

The two systems will have separate staff, structure and resources. The committee suggested the two-system structure after it found that in the recent years the concept of university has become synonymous with affiliated colleges and conduct of examinations, with less scope for research activities.

The report said the course structure has to be designed in such a way that the students could move from one area to another, subject to certain conditions within the purview of the school of study.