Nitish, gov clash over varsity act
The Nitish Kumar government’s insistence on amending two laws governing the functioning of Bihar’s universities has brought the government and governor Devanand Konwar on to a confrontation simmering for a fortnight. Mr Konwar’s disagreement to the proposed changes has drawn criticism from the ruling NDA legislators.
Faced with deteriorating academic situations in all the universities in Bihar, Mr Kumar’s government introduced the bill in 2010 seeking changes in the Bihar Universities Act and the Patna University Act, which would curb some of the sweeping powers enjoyed by the governor as the chancellor of the universities. Although the bill — Bihar University (Amendments) Bill 2010 — was passed by both Houses of the Bihar legislature in March 2010, the governor withheld it ever since and recently returned it, asking if it was a money bill. The proposed amendments related to regulation of the use of funds released to the universities by the government and the appointment of the vice-chancellors, making the Raj Bhawan officials reportedly interpret the changes as an attack on the universities’ autonomy. MLAs of the two ruling parties, JD(U) and BJP, criticised the governor in the Assembly, saying the governor was an encroaching on the legislature’s. On Monday, Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary overruled Mr Konwar’s withholding of assent on the bill.
Education minister P.K. Sahi, who described Bihar’s higher education scene as “messy,” said the amendments aimed at bringing transparency in the appointment of VCs.
Post new comment