After receiving the Institute of Eminence (IOE) tag, Delhi University plans to set up “parallel centres”, which will be outside the purview of its statutory bodies, said elected members of the Executive Council (EC). This would pave the way for increased privatisation and dismantling of the public-funded university, they added.
Last month, DU was among five public universities identified under the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s Institute of Eminence Scheme. Benefits include increased autonomy in different aspects of the university’s functioning, these would get additional ₹1,000 crore in funding.
At a recent meeting, elected EC members and others were informed that the additional money would be spent in the nine new centers that would be set up under different areas of focus, said one of the members, Rajesh Jha.
A teachers’ group — Academics for Action and Development (AAD)—, including two EC members, said the university plans to introduce a Board of Governors (BOG) body which would be outside the purview of statutory bodies such as the EC, the Academic Council, and the Finance Committee.
This body would be in charge of the funds to be received under the IOE scheme and would not be subject to the critical scrutiny of these councils, they warned.
The group said the creation of such a parallel structure within the university would leave the rest outside the “limelight and government patronage” and would pave the way to increasing privatisation and a corporate form of governance.
With complete autonomy over faculty, pay scales, the group also expressed concern over it’s impact on existing academics. Implementation of the IOE scheme in the university has been scheduled for consideration on October 25.
