Chandigarh: In a U-turn, the Haryana government Friday withdrew its earlier order asking the state universities to become self-reliant by generating their own funds and reducing dependence on the government for funding.
In a letter addressed to the vice-chancellors of all state universities under the ambit of the Higher and Technical Education, the additional chief secretary (ACS), Higher Education Department, Anand Mohan Sharan, informed them that his earlier letter dated 29 May titled “To make state universities self-reliant” has been withdrawn.
“I (ACS) have been directed to inform you that the above-referred letter is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,” said the letter.
The move was welcomed by the university teachers’ associations, who said it was a victory for their unity.
Speaking to ThePrint Saturday, Dr Vikas Siwach, president of the Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation (HFUCTO), said teachers from across the state had opposed the move and they were now happy that the government has finally changed its mind.
“It was all the more surprising that the 29 May letter came at a time when the Haryana chief minister was holding meetings with his Punjab counterpart and the Punjab Governor seeking share for Haryana in Panjab University, Chandigarh, offering them funding to fight a financial crisis,” Siwach said.
Highlighting the “dichotomy” he added that, on one hand, the government wanted to starve its own universities, and on the other offered funds for Panjab University.
In the letter issued on 29 May, the additional chief secretary said that “the state government has desired that all the state universities will move towards self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on government funds.”
“Towards this, the universities shall raise funds from alumni, CSR, private-public projects, research grants, patents, commercial utilisation of unutilised land of the universities, online education and distance education, encourage industry-academia collaboration and promoting entrepreneurship etc,” read the letter.
It added that the universities may generate revenue from certain inherent resources as all the universities have the complete infrastructure and adequate land. The move was criticised by the teaching community.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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