Don’t depend on us, generate own funds, Haryana govt tells state universities

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, June 3

The Haryana Government has told the state universities to move towards self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on government for funds.

In a letter to the vice-chancellors of all state universities, the Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Higher Education) has stated that the universities should raise funds from their alumni, corporate social responsibility (CSR), public-private partnership (PPP) projects, research grants and patents etc.

Govt running away from its responsibilities

The government has already imposed all kind of taxes and education cess but is running away from its responsibilities of providing best and cheaper education to people. Narendra Chahar, secretary (north zone), AIFUCTO

Offering funds to PU, but nothing for us

On the one hand, the government is offering funds to Panjab University to get affiliation for colleges, and on the other hand, it wants the state universities to become self-reliant. Dr Vikas Siwach, president,HFUCTO

The vice-chancellors have also been advised to generate funds through commercial utilisation of the unutilised land of the universities, online and distance-education courses, industry academia collaboration and promoting entrepreneurship etc.

“The state universities may generate revenue from certain inherent internal resources as all state universities have complete infrastructure and adequate land,” states the letter.

The vice-chancellors have been asked to share their plan of five years to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on the government for grants by raising funds at their own level from the available resources.

They have been further advised to explore other sources of income to become self-reliant and share their initiatives in this regard. The government has also sent a concept note containing detailed suggestions to become self-reliant to the vice-chancellors.

Meanwhile, the teachers’ organisations have decried the move of the state government, maintaining that it was a step towards the privatisation of higher education.

“It will force the state universities to raise their fees, which will deprive the students of lower and middle strata of society of quality higher education,” said Dr Vikas Siwach, president of the Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (HFUCTO).

Siwach, who is also the president of Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA), termed the move as “another attack by the Haryana Government on the autonomy of the state universities”.

“HFUCTO and MDUTA take a serious note of the letter and condemn it. We will call a meeting of all associations under our umbrella to thwart the move,” he added.

Rajeev Ratan, Director-General (Higher Education), said it’s a welcome step and would help the universities to become self-reliant by generating additional income from their own resources.

What the letter says

• A letter to all vice-chancellors of state universities has suggested that the universities shall raise funds from alumni, public private partnership, CSR, research grants, commercial utilisations of unutilised land and encourage industry-academia collaboration
• The universities have also been suggested to generate revenue from inherent internal resources as all universities have complete infrastructure and adequate land, besides exploring other sources of income to become self-reliant

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