Diluted rules, government disinterest plague higher education

Till about 10 years ago, educational institutes in Tamil Nadu were some of the most sought after, having produced stalwarts such as the late President APJ Abdul Kalam. Students across the country used to compete fiercely to get through various colleges in the state. That, however, is a thing of the past.

A series of scams and scandals over the last decade have plagued TN universities bringing down their credibility as students’ interest in them began to fade away.

From appointing university vice-chancellors to buying equipment for institutions, almost every avenue of the higher education in the state have been marked with corruption. Matters reached a nadir when an assistant professor at Aruppukottai College, Nirmala Devi, was arrested for her attempt to lure girls for  sexual favours to top authorities in Madurai Kamaraj University. 

Soon after, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-corruption (DVAC) unearthed “marks for money” scam in Anna University where students were given extra marks during re-evaluation of answer sheets.

Moreover, academicians and other experts say that the entire higher education system in Tamil Nadu need to be revamped starting with updating the syllabus.

According to Tamil Nadu Federation of University Faculty Associations (TANFUFA), the prime academician’s body in the state, the presence of deep-rooted corruption in the higher education system has risen primarily because of the withdrawal of the state government from education, following education being declared as a service sector by encouraging privatisation and commercialisation of the system.

TANFUFA president Dr I Arul Aram said that the current state government’s ordinance diluted the qualification required for a vice-chancellor. He said that the ordinance should be withdrawn immediately and a new amendment with stringent qualifications must be prescribed for the post.

Aram also said it is necessary for the government to take a look into the constitution of the search committee which recommends the panel of three names for the position of vice-chancellor, with candidates of high academic excellence, moral integrity and commitment for the cause of education.

According to him, the present proposal of department of higher education for common recruitment board for universities faculty selection is not acceptable and it may still worsen the selection on various grounds.

Transparency in appointments of universities officials including vice-chancellor, faculty and staff is not followed by publishing minutes of the committee meetings, list of candidates, reasons for short-listing and selection.

“It is not too late. The government still can order official inquiry to those responsible for the selection of vice-chancellors, who were charged with corruption and wrongdoings, the recent appointment of faculty members and financial expenditures during their tenures”, he said.

Echoing similar views of TANUFUFA, former vice-chancellor, Anna University, professor M Anandakrishnan said the present constitution of syndicate of universities is mostly by nomination and the scope by the process of election to the membership of syndicate is limited. 

Academicians further feel that the financial administration lost its transparency by bringing out separate white papers on the financial position of the government funding and university expenditures every year.

In addition, the purchase procedures and the building construction tender rules are not strictly adhered to and the governor-chancellor and the state government must deal with such violations strictly. 

The Joint Action Council of College Teachers, Tamil Nadu convenor Dr R Dhamotharan said that increase and release of block grants to universities immediately is one of the major problems and sources of corruption. The “marks for money” scam especially botched the state’s reputation. A senior professor from Anna University said, “It is a shame. The middlemen are the main reason for this malpractice. Wrongdoing of few professors spoiled the whole image of other faculties.”

Both TANFUFA and JAC, in a similar statement, said the government should form an ombudsman or tribunal for higher education to fast track the redressal process for corruption complaints from stakeholders.

The academician’s body also took serious note on the process of accreditation by the agencies like National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF), graded autonomy and categorisation of universities and colleges encourages commercialisation and privatisation of higher education. 

The association demands that the systemic curbing of the rights of the students by the union and state government and also by the universities must be stopped. Students must be allowed to voice their views in the policies of the universities and education. Any new policy on education should be consulted with all the stake-holders, including students.