Parekh urges Guj Governor not to clear higher education Bill

UK-based economist Lord Bhikhu Parekh today urged Gujarat Governor O P Kohli not to give consent to the State Higher Education Council Bill 2016 in its present form, as it will give "sweeping powers to the state government and curtail the authority of vice-chancellors".
The Gujarat State Higher Education Council Bill, 2016 is set to bring all the universities of the state under the ambit of a Higher Education Council, to be chaired by the Chief Minister. The Bill has been passed by the state Assembly recently and is pending before the Governor for his approval.
"I am against the Bill in its present form. As per the provisions of the Bill, the composition of the (higher education) committee includes Chief Minister as president, Education Minister as vice president and minister of state for education as co-vice president and 12 other ministers (total 15 ministers)," Parekh told PTI.

The council will also have five vice-chancellors of state universities.
"However, Chancellor of the state-controlled universities selected by the government and even Vice Chancellors of all the universities of Gujarat state, are not allowed to choose their own nominees on this council," Parekh pointed out.
"If it is cleared by the Governor, it will give sweeping powers to the state government and curtail the authority of vice-chancellors," the Padma Bhushan awardee alleged.
Parekh said, the Bill fails to reflect the views of former Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's view, which he had expressed during a conference on VCs held in Gandhinagar in 2014, where he (Parekh) was the chief guest.