Existing conditions in higher education are a sure prescription for further decline. Even appointments to the post of Vice Chancellor have become politicised. Academic excellence or a sense of accountability is no longer the key
The learned of the past had repeatedly articulated that ‘future empires shall be empires of knowledge’. It is clearly and universally evident that it is the cognitive capital of the nation that would determine the pace of its progress and development. Obviously, the institutions of higher learning, their work culture and professional leadership would determine the measure and quality of the knowledge that they would generate and disseminate for utilisation in public welfare.
India had a great tradition of knowledge-creation and generation which was relegated to background during the periods of foreign subjugation. The rulers achieved their objective decimating the indigenous traditions of education and learning. What have we done to resurrect the tradition, learn from its strengths and develop institutions that would draw the best out of past traditions and integrate these with the modern new knowledge from all sources through institutions specially created for the purposeIJ
The situation is best illustrated by the recent happenings concerning the much-hyped Nalanda University that was to become a centre of excellence in the great endeavour of knowledge pursuit, taking inspiration from its glorious past that fills every Indian with a sense of pride and adulation even in the current times. Though some very glamorous names were successfully approached and persuaded to help in its conceptualisation and creation, the project has moved only at snail’s pace and is already bogged down in several unsavoury developments which have nothing to do with knowledge creation or learning. The latest concern pertains to the indications given by professor Amartya Sen, chief of the mentors group, to quit if any one questions his autonomy on matters of fund utilisation.
The proposed university attracted the people’s attention when it began to function from New Delhi, when its Vice Chancellor was picked by professor Sen from a Delhi University college and given an ‘international’ emoluments package of around $80,000 per annum. Similar packages were also offered to other lucky appointees. In spite of all this, people are still in dark as to what new and innovative is in store when this university actually begins to function. Experts in fiscal growth may not necessarily understand the implications of the need to prioritise the growth of cognitive capital.
Meet anybody associated with higher education and be sure to listen to stories indicating how steep the fall of standards, even in the universities that had enjoyed a great reputation, has been. Every such interaction, right from a one-one-one dialogue to numerous seminars and conferences on ‘quality in higher education’ invariably points to the lack of academic leadership which, in decent words, is a consequence of brazen political interference.
last year, 11 Vice Chancellors were summarily dismissed by the Supreme Court, as their appointments were found irregular — being in violation of the Bihar Universities Act. They had worked for about two years and during the intervening period, were on their tenterhooks, the Government was bent upon removing them and the Chancellor made it a prestige issue to retain them.
In between, the High Court had ruled against their appointments but the orders were nullified after the Chancellor invited fresh applications and re-appointed all of them. Finally, the Supreme Court sealed their fate. The system, and the politics involved in the selection, had practically paralysed these universities for this period. How could one expect a demoralised Vice Chancellor provide academic and professional leadership to the highest seat of learningIJ Such instances are frequently referred to in the media from various parts of the country and no one is surprised.
Some five years ago, the Union Government had appointed Vice Chancellors to its newly created central universities ‘in bulk’ to beat the notification of general election and applicability of the code of conduct. Now that 12 of them incumbents are demitting office, the Union Government extended the tenure of all of the 12 Vice Chancellors ‘till their successors are appointed’. It had to be swiftly withdrawn as it was found to be in violation of the provisions of the relevant Act. The UPA Government introduced the practice of ‘inviting applications’ for the VC’s positions which in itself was a great ‘innovation’ that did surprise many academics and scholars.
The search committees of the past now act as selection committees and they do conduct ‘interactions’ (read interviews) with the prospective candidates. As is the general practice in most of the recruitments in India, candidates do a lot of homework and ‘legwork’ before they appear for the ‘interaction’. Now it applies to prestigious academic positions like that of the Vice-Chancellor also. The existing conditions in higher education are a sure prescription for further decline.