Studies of the MPhil courses in Economics, Education, Hindi, Sociology and Psychology, newly launched from this session, of students of the Shailabala Women’s Autonomous College, Cuttack, are yet to start even as the students will write their first semester exam in a few days.
This has spread large scale disenchantment among the students and their guardians.
According to sources, the Board of Studies of the college, empowered to formulate the syllabus as per the UGC rules, cannot be constituted pending approval of the RD Women’s University to which the Shailabala College is affiliated.
As per the UGC guidelines for autonomous colleges, the autonomous colleges can review existing courses/programmes and restructure, redesign and prescribe its own courses, programmes of study and syllabi, and formulate new courses.
The college will enjoy the privilege of autonomy in all crucial matters like constituting governing body and other bodies while the parent varsity will only award the degrees with the name of the college mentioned in the degree certificate as instructed by the UGC. But the RD Women’s University seems to be doing just the opposite by keeping the Shailabala under its thumb.
In spite of repeated requests, intriguingly enough, the RD authority has not yet allowed the college to constitute its Board of Studies. Consequently, the students are suffering a great loss from academic point of view.
The admission to the MPhil courses has ended since October 18 and already over one month has elapsed without the college administering any teaching to the students. The students are going to sit for their first semester exam shortly.
The college authorities are caught between two horns of dilemma as they have to face the vengeful ire of parents and guardians on the one hand and the lackadaisical attitude and apathy of the muddle-headed varsity authorities.
The varsity seems to run by whims and caprices, brazenly flouting the UGC guidelines that aims to confer autonomy so that the colleges with academic and operative freedom can perform better and can have more credibility.
Another such glaring incident of wanton anomalies perpetuated by RD has come to the fore that the varsity collects affiliation fees illegally every year, subject-wise from the college despite the fact that it is a one-time payment by the college as per the prescribed rule at the time of conferment of autonomy.
Academicians, intellectuals and informed public wonder as to how such arbitrary and illegal act by the RD will help serve the noble purpose of the UGC.