Mangalore University’s decision-making on the edge

Syndicate reduced to 12 members against the strength of 20

The Syndicate of Mangalore University has been reduced to a 12-member body with hardly any educationist or member of civil society in it. The highest decision making entity is thus reduced to an official body.

This is because six members nominated by the government to the 20-member Syndicate were removed seven months ago while two others retired early this month.

After the Congress formed the government last year, it sacked six members nominated by the previous BJP government in mid-June. The Governor’s two nominees in the body — K.E. Radhakrishna and Hampa Nagarajaiah — retired on February 2 after their term.

The Congress government had sacked the members nominated to the Syndicate of all universities after it came to power. Of the six members from among the ‘educationists’ to be nominated by the government, one has to be a member of Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, one should be from the backward classes, one should be from a minority religion and a member has to be a woman. It could nominate any two others.

The Governor could nominate two members from among eminent educationists, or persons from commerce, banking, industry or other professions.

Sources in the university told

The Hindu that with the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the government was unlikely to nominate six members till the next four months. It was not sure if the Governor would nominate the two members before the announcement of the calendar of events of the elections.

They said that it required the attendance of nine members to conduct the Syndicate meetings. Now the Syndicate in the university was sitting on the edge with only three members more than the minimum requirement. If four members failed to turn up it can not hold regular or special meetings to take important decisions, especially ahead of the start of the 2014-15 academic year. Importantly, in the Syndicate there is no one now to represent “civil society.”