Principal Secretary for Higher Education Madan Gopal said here on Thursday that the Finance Department was likely to lift its “economy order” on recruiting teachers to fill vacant sanctioned posts in universities.
Speaking to The Hindu after a meeting with teachers and officials of Mangalore University at Mangalagangotri, Mr. Gopal said, “It is possible to relax the order, as far as recruiting teachers to fill the sanctioned vacant posts in universities is concerned,” he said.
The Principal Secretary said that his department was also considering recruiting new teachers and non-teaching staff for universities in view of the fact that the University Grants Commission (UGC) was coming out with innovative courses.
To a question on introducing a common calendar of events for universities, Mr. Gopal said that it did not mean that admissions, examinations and declaration of results should be on the same day across all universities. That was not possible. It only meant that the universities could conduct them during the same period, with a difference of 15 to 20 days.
The Government would conduct education adalats for students at identified places in August and September, he said.
The department would conduct divisional-level interactive meetings with principals of government colleges, beginning August or September. It was aimed at understanding why some government colleges were lagging behind in improving quality. . The meet would also discuss ways for quality enhancement, Mr. Gopal said.
To another question, he said the Government would soon forward to all universities copies of the N.R. Shetty Committee report, which had recommended amendments to the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000.
Later, the State Higher Education Council would hold an interactive meeting to discuss the recommendations. All stakeholders in higher education would be involved in the discussion, before going ahead with the amendments.
A delegation of the Association of Mangalore University College Teachers, led by its general secretary K.V. Purushothama, met Mr. Gopal.
