The State government is in the final stages of restoring Anna University, Chennai, as an affiliating university by abolishing the five newly created technical universities.
The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) is for creating more universities and there is a perception in academic circles at present that not more than 100 colleges should be affiliated to a university. But the Anna University will have the task of regulating and monitoring over 500 engineering colleges in the State.
There was not much of a discussion on the bill to further amend the Anna University Act, 1978 and to repeal certain university laws and the ruling party was not for referring the bill to the select committee for review as demanded by the opposition. The bill has been passed. It will be sent to the Governor-Chancellor for assent.
The task ahead
The government seems to have a real desire to improve the quality and content of the higher education. Realising that the Anna University, Chennai, could not make a head start for the mammoth task ahead without an effective academician-cum-administrator as Vice Chancellor, the bill has a clause to send home the incumbent vice chancellor who is on a one-year extension.
The university needs to have the cleanest and efficient vice chancellor — someone who can take the bull by the horns — and whose words and leadership will be respected. The appointment has to be solely on merit devoid of corruption or political interference. It will be an acid test, say academics.
Removal Procedure
The government has a safety clause too. On the lines of the procedure stipulated in Karnataka Common Universities Act, 2000, the Bill has sections detailing procedures for the removal of Vice-Chancellor.
In future, the Anna University Vice Chancellor could be removed from his office by an order of the Chancellor, who has to go by the advice of the government based on an inquiry on various grounds.
Curse of Affiliation
Another aspect that will require far-sighted and innovative thinking is managing the 500-odd engineering colleges.
Within the Anna University, there is a growing feeling that research and publications could take a back seat as the faculty will have more work to perform the process of affiliation of all the colleges.
There are many academicians who consider the affiliation system to be the curse of the country as the role of the university is to provide leadership to learners and teachers. However, they agree that there are universities in the country with about 800 to 900 arts and science colleges affiliated to them but are of the opinion that it would be difficult to manage hundreds of engineering colleges.
Mentoring Centres
In the case of technical university, the affiliation of over 500 engineering colleges has the danger of turning them into coaching centres and not impart engineering per se which is all about solving problems. Anna University has to find a method, a way of guiding and mentoring these colleges.
Eminent academician and IIT Kanpur chairman M. Anandakrishnan has a solution – structural disaggregation.
“Create mentoring centres, at least ten, to begin with, each in-charge of 50 engineering colleges. Provide people who can act as mentors in these centres. Give them the powers like a pro-vice chancellor but within the university's control. And to tell the colleges to do real academic and quality work and not function like tuition centres,” he suggests.
