“The controversy over the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) raises several important issues on university autonomy, academic freedom, the regulatory powers of the University Grants Commission and the power of the Central government to interfere in higher education in the country.” Of these “University autonomy and academic freedom are twin concepts that have been well-accepted in the context of higher education as part of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. “ One cannot emphasize the importance of academic freedom enough and yet we find its importance not fully recognized in this country. We find politicians riding roughshod over even genuine efforts to achieve excellence in academic institutions. Such crude and insensitive attitudes only leave us hopeless and helpless. The least one expects is that these people give due recognition to the principle behind giving autonomy and freedom to academic institutions. But our politicians find it very tempting to assert their power and wreck the whole set up. As for UGC, the institution has not kept pace with the changes that are happening. The institution needs to be reformed, given more powers and the necessary freedom to reinvent itself to keep up with the times.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 11:15:55 +0000
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