| PRIVATISATION OF UNIVERSITIES & | | | | involved in university administration”.[9] |
| ROLE OF UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIOR | | | | “Reduction in controls and decentralization in |
| 1. WHY HIGHER EDUCATION? | | | | decision making can avoid needless delays and can |
| Universities are the centre for imparting higher | | | | impart new dynamism to administration. Therefore, it is |
| Education. And the aim of university education was | | | | necessary to offer autonomy and freedom to every |
| succinctly expressed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He | | | | department of the university so that they became |
| said, “A university stands for humanism, tolerance, | | | | independent entities. The kothari commission stressed |
| reason, adventure of ideas and the search for truth. | | | | the need for autonomous colleges as far back as |
| “[1] Universities in the modern world are expected | | | | 1964. The new policy on Education of 1986 also |
| to seek and cultivate new knowledge, provide the right | | | | endorsed this timely measure”. [10] |
| kind of leadership in all walks of life and strive to | | | | The idea of privatisation is also outcome of above |
| promote equality and social justice. The Universities in | | | | thinking. Therefore the role of Administrators are |
| India, however, have to shoulder some additional | | | | changing in the changing Scenario. The Administrators |
| responsibilities. They have to be the conscience to the | | | | are expected to find out the ways to collect funds to |
| nation, develop programme for adult education assist in | | | | become self-sufficient university. It is now believed that |
| improving schools, and try to bring back the centre of | | | | those who clamor for qualitative education should |
| gravity of academic life within the country by creating | | | | receive it only at a price. Enhancement of a university |
| centres of excellence comparable to those in other | | | | fees and rate is inevitable and opposition to it is |
| parts of the world. These are the major objectives of | | | | untenable and unwarranted. The administrators are |
| higher eduction in India as exemplified by the Indian | | | | also expected to endeavor to establish endowments |
| Education Commission (1964-66) [2] | | | | from philanthropists. Income from such endowments |
| If the university system were to respond and measure | | | | can help to improve university finances. The idea of |
| up to the expectations of Nehru, it has to lay stress on | | | | privatisation in higher education led this responsibility |
| and pursue four important elements, they are (i) | | | | upon the university administrators today. The |
| Excellence (ii) Modernization (iii) Interaction, and (iv) | | | | administrators are also expected to save a part of its |
| self-reliance. These are all inter-related. [3] | | | | funds and invest the same in income yielding assets |
| True pursuit of excellence in all spheres of activities of | | | | and income generated thereby can supplement the |
| a university will help imbibing and nurturing in the | | | | scanty resources of the University. |
| university life the qualities of humanism, tolerance, | | | | Administrators will also held responsible for avoiding, at |
| reason and adventure of ideas, search of truth and | | | | all costs, unproductive, extravagant and doubtful |
| thereby help for leading humanity towards even higher | | | | expenditure. They should keep watch on the |
| objectives. | | | | objectives of the university and permit the expenditure. |
| Modernization in terms of courses, facilities, evaluation | | | | Considerable economy in the expenditure will be |
| methods and faculty up gradation will turn enrich | | | | expected by the university administrators in the |
| teaching, research, examination system and extension | | | | changing scenario. for instance, the expenditure on |
| activities. Modernization equips better the university to | | | | examination wing can be considerably reduced when |
| play its role effectively. | | | | the complete internal assessment system is introduced |
| Interaction and inter-dependence are well recognised | | | | in the university. Similarly, under the choice based credit |
| concepts in the present day global situation. Universities | | | | system, the students have the benefit of expertise |
| are no exception to this. They should come out of their | | | | from all the departments of the university ane hence |
| ivory towers concept and interact with outside world | | | | the expenditure on invited faculty from outside or |
| viz. the society the Government, sister institutions, | | | | guest lecturers can be reduced to the minimum. Thus |
| industrial organization and the world. Through | | | | privatisation of the higher education will lead the |
| interaction, the university excellence should be shared | | | | Administrators to think over the improvement in |
| for national development. | | | | financial position of the university by finding out many |
| Autonomy in the true sense should be the privilege of | | | | measures by augmentation of the internal and external |
| the University system so as to enable it to respond | | | | revenue and by economy in expenditure. |
| with full vigor for fulfilment of its objectives and goal. | | | | Moreover, “the crucial factor in administration is the |
| Academic autonomy relating to offering courses, | | | | nature of the human relationship involved. (Ramesh |
| evolving evaluation methods, teaching research and | | | | 1991)” [11] The Administrators basic functions are to |
| extension activities is available. Financial autonomy is | | | | exercise broad judgement; provide professional |
| vital for continuation of universities as centres for | | | | leadership and exhibit discriminating insight and |
| excellence and need of the hour is to initiate steps for | | | | understanding in the utilization of personnel. |
| fund generation and reduce its dependence on the | | | | “In education, administration would continue to be a |
| Government to the extent possible, thus paving the | | | | ‘service agency’ to tending, research and |
| way towards self-reliance. | | | | extension work. One can not be a good educational |
| 2. HOW THE IDEA OF PRIVATISATION OF | | | | administrator unless one is a good teacher. Hence |
| UNIVERSITIES CAME? | | | | there should always be an opportunity open for an |
| “India is passing through a historic moment on the | | | | educational administrator to come to teaching or |
| economic front, The Eight five year plan is launched in | | | | research and for a teacher to go over to the |
| the backdrop of certain strengths in the economy as | | | | administrative side on tenure assignment. Educational |
| well as certain concerns which have surfaced over | | | | administration and teaching must draw inspiration, |
| the recent years. The Government have taken new | | | | support and enrichment from each-other through |
| initiatives and bold decisions to reorient and restrictive | | | | periodic exchange or roles.”[12] |
| the economy to meet the challenges of the presents | | | | Studies in ‘effective schools’ have also |
| economic crisis in the country”, [4] Momentous | | | | reinforced the belief that and educational administrator |
| changes e.g. the end of the cold war, the transfer | | | | must be strong instructional leader. He should promote |
| nations in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of the | | | | orderly climate in the school, set high expectations |
| soviet Union, the imminent emergence of a common | | | | form the students, put emphasis on basic skills and |
| market in Easter Europe, are taking place on the | | | | regularly monitor in structural progress of the learners |
| internation scene. All these changes certainly have an | | | | (Bickel, 1983) [13] |
| impact on the Indian economy. | | | | 6. DOES IT FAIR FOR THE PROFESSION? |
| The Scenario on Indian economy necessitates certain | | | | Certainly, changing role of the Administration is fair for |
| imperatives in mobilizing resource for higher education. | | | | the profession. When the question of accountability |
| They include avoiding duplication and wastage, | | | | comes, certain authorityhas to be shouldered upon him. |
| increasing the efficiency of the system, optimising | | | | Responsibility, authority and accountability leads the |
| utilization of the resources through pooling and sharing | | | | fairness to the profession of any kind. Today middle |
| and the need for the universities to generate | | | | Administrators have no any authority and hence they |
| resources while maintaining intact their primary task of | | | | crush between Karmacharis and top administrators. |
| teaching, research and extension activities. The need | | | | Registrar is no exception to this situation. There should |
| for fund generation by universities is in the context of | | | | always be an opportunity open for an educational |
| both financial autonomy and resource chruch. This | | | | administrator to come to teaching or research on the |
| implies an added role to the university system. This | | | | scale reached at that time. There will be no |
| added role brings into sharp focus the need for | | | | administration without handling the human relationship |
| interaction with other agencies. In National policy on | | | | properly. The switch over this situation is always good |
| Education of 1986 Para 3.9 clearly mentioned that | | | | for the profession. |
| “A network between different institution in the | | | | But the question arises when the administrators are |
| country to pool their resources be arranged.” [5] | | | | asked to think over the fees and to find out the ways |
| “Moreover, never before has the university system | | | | to collect funds to become self- sufficient university. |
| in India been under such pressures as at present. | | | | He is to be economical and he must be no doubt. But it |
| Practically all the universities (barring a few) are | | | | does not mean that administrators are the persons |
| carrying a financial deficit of 1 to 5 crores each. The | | | | only to be economical. Every unit of the university |
| state has not been able to put in even six percent of | | | | should be economical, then and then only we face the |
| Gross National Product (GNP) in education. We have | | | | challenges that come with of the privatisation in the |
| been spending only 1.2 percent to 3.9 percent between | | | | education field. |
| 1950 and 1987. [6] The plan outlay for higher education | | | | Moreover, his appointment, service conditions, his |
| in relation to total outlay for education has increased | | | | provident and or pension scheme should be left aside |
| from 18% in the first plan to 44% in the seventh plan, | | | | safe from the hands of the politicians and the |
| yet in real terms it might be much lower considering | | | | concerned private university management. |
| the escalation in costs. Presently the state subsidy to | | | | Management should be just to all the staff and not |
| higher education is about 85 percent.” [7] | | | | only to the spoons borne out of this situation. It is a |
| “The tuition fees are abysmally low and they have, | | | | great fear on the part of the profession that he will be |
| more or less remained unaltered since the past fifty | | | | not safe in his service. There will be always sword |
| years and more.” [8] They present a striking | | | | hung over his head. However, he will be safe if he |
| contrast to the high fees changed in many private | | | | acquires certain qualities in him to welcome the |
| primary and pre-primary schools. This low fee | | | | forthcoming changes. |
| structure in the Universities, it is argued by some and | | | | 7. WHAT THE ADMINISTRATORS DO IN THIS |
| perhaps rightly accounts both for lack of motivation | | | | SITUATION? |
| amongst students and absence of accountability | | | | The administrators must welcome the technology |
| amongst teachers. | | | | coming in this field. They are the persons who |
| The University system is also under challenge because | | | | generate financial resources for the purpose. They are |
| of the non-employability of most of the graduates it | | | | the main persons to be economical. |
| turns out and the consequent need for linking education | | | | But today competition poses an organisation challenge |
| to work experience or vocationalization of education | | | | that cannot be simply by technology or by financial |
| as well as for the actulisation of the university | | | | resources. Technological innovations and resource |
| obligations to the community. | | | | allocation are outcome of human processes. |
| The challenges and pressures can no more be wished | | | | Therefore our ability to complete rests on our ability to |
| away nor can they be pushed under the carpet. When | | | | organise human beings to such way as to generate |
| the very survival of universities and colleges is | | | | opportunity and results rather than impasses, |
| threatened, the educationalists and education planners | | | | stagnation, bureaucracy and wasteful friction. Hence, |
| are obligated to put their brains together and find viable | | | | “Interpersonal relations” and “dialogue” |
| solutions. While rethinking the university set-up many | | | | have to be recognised as the basic requirement of |
| ways came out. Some of them are linkages between | | | | educational administration to enable people to come |
| Universities, Industries and Research and Development | | | | together, to keep together and to work together. |
| Organisation, College Autonomy, Privatisation of | | | | Educational institutions are not machines like the |
| universities etc. | | | | “nuclear reactor”. They are the abode of culture |
| 3. PRIVATISATION OF UNIVERSITIES : HILLS AND | | | | where spirit of inquiry questioning and disagreement |
| FALLS. | | | | are deliberately encouraged. Here the people should |
| To be economical, the idea of privatisation has been | | | | disagree without being disagreeable, and value |
| epitomized in the National policy on Education of 1986 | | | | substantive conflict by keeping personal conflict to a |
| as well as in the 8th plan document of the Planning | | | | minimum. To usher in such permissive intellectual |
| Commission but the word has been always rightly | | | | climate an educational administrator is expected to |
| linked with notions of commercialization, self paying | | | | posses democratic attitude, scientific temper and |
| institutions etc. It does not require any detailed | | | | philosophical tolerance. Administrators having such |
| examination to conclude that the Government is only | | | | attitude and temperament can make an educational |
| inviting private money to bail it out. It wants that this | | | | institution a true “academic republic”. It is major |
| system in its present form must be created entirely by | | | | responsibility of the educational administrator to create |
| private money and injection of business processes | | | | such conditions and contexts in the educational |
| market forces and economic use of resources. | | | | institutions, which stimulate and inspire the teachers to |
| Moreover, we should recall rather with a sense of | | | | perform qualitatively better and higher. They would |
| appreciation the invaluable services rendered by | | | | make attempts to develop in the teacher and |
| private institutions in the cause of higher education in | | | | educational workers a ‘life style’ which in the |
| the past. They can contribute to govt. and thereby | | | | words of Alfred North Whitehead (1962) “hates |
| reduce financial commitment and expenditure and help | | | | waste, economises material and prefers good |
| to achieve the goal of ‘education for all’. At | | | | work.” [14] |
| present, there is no other measure found to extend in | | | | To vitalize and mobilize human energy through |
| the education to all at the higher level. | | | | harmonious human relationship in the educational |
| However, it would be educative to examine how far | | | | institutions, educational administrators are expected to |
| this policy can go and what it can yield. mention may | | | | orient themselves to the demands of the four soft |
| be made of a mushroom growth of institutions which | | | | s’s that is staff, skills, style and superordinate goals |
| are variously named as self-paying, self-financing | | | | for meeting the challenge of change and acceleration. |
| capitation etc. In the famous dictum of one problem | | | | Life transitions challenge people and require them to |
| leading to another, the government is required to step | | | | grow and adapt to meet the demands of new roles. |
| in to determine the fees the self-paying institutions can | | | | This is the environment that explains the widespread |
| charge. The financial crisis not affected only the higher | | | | participation of adults in education and it will explain their |
| education system, it has affected all institutional | | | | continued large-scale participation in education in the |
| activities of the nation. Though it is so increasing | | | | years ahead. Therefore “Our people must be |
| revenues through enhancement of fees is simply not | | | | knowledgeable, as well as trained, as competent, and |
| workable. The cost of education is an outcome of an | | | | as inventive as those in any other nation. All of our |
| accounting exercise. So, freedom given to private | | | | people, not just a few, must be able to think for a living, |
| initiative to establish a college was heavily | | | | adapt to changing environments, and to understand the |
| circumscribed by the Government acting as a referee | | | | work around them. They must understand and accept |
| all the time. And when the Government over looked, | | | | the responsibilities and obligation of citizenship. They |
| the court came as a super referee. | | | | must continually learn and develop new skills |
| 1. | | | | throughout their lives. We must recognise that |
| Therefore privatisation in higher education is welcome | | | | education is a life long pursuit, not just an endeavor for |
| if the doors of it remain open to the poor of the | | | | out children (Aslanian 1992)”. [15] This agenda of the |
| country, if the institutions are left aloof from the | | | | National Goals for Education put forward by the White |
| politicians, if the administrators and the staff are | | | | House is the greatest challenge of the future facing |
| paidregularly as per their scales, if they maintain quality | | | | the educational administrators of all the countries of |
| academically and if there is justice to all the concerned. | | | | the world. |
| It may affect the existing management system but if | | | | REFERENCES. |
| the changes are better academically and for the | | | | 1. Swaminadhan D., Added Role of Indian Universities, |
| smooth running of the institution avoiding bureaucracy | | | | University News, Monday, October 19, 1992, Pg.20. |
| and welcoming democracy, one may welcome such | | | | (Member Planning Commission, Yojna Bhavan, New |
| type of changes in the existing management system. | | | | Delhi - 110 001) |
| 4. PRESENT POSITION OF THE ADMINISTRATORS | | | | 1. Report of Education Commission (1964-66) New |
| IN THE UNIVERSITIES. | | | | Delhi, Ministry of Education, Publication Division, referred |
| 1. Today the role of the Administration and the | | | | by Ibid. |
| Administrative staff is to support the academic | | | | 1. Swaminadhan D., Added Role of Indian Universities, |
| activities. It is often argued that the Administrators are | | | | University News, Monday, October 19, 1992, Pg.20. |
| merely sticking with statutes and ordinances | | | | (Member Planning Commission, Yojna Bhavan, New |
| | | | | Delhi - 110 001) |
| the functioning to the | | | | 1. Ibid. |
| university. The Karamcharis and the staff, instigated by | | | | 1. Miltra N. H. Towards a New Policy and Response of |
| outside political elements, often go on strike on the | | | | U.G.C., University News, Monday, January 18, 1993. |
| slightest pretext obstruction the working of the | | | | (Professor of Law, National Law school of Indian |
| university. | | | | University, Bangalore - 560 072) Pg. 13 |
| On the other hand, the academicians always do not | | | | 1. A Gnanam, Towards Excellence in Higher Education, |
| understand the importance of Administration and tend | | | | An Opportunity and A Challenge, University News, |
| to neglect it. The top administrator in the university i.e. | | | | Monday, October, 19, 1992 Pg. 5. (Vice -Chancellor, |
| Registrar also be neglected by the Academicians. The | | | | Pondicherry University, Pondicherry - 605 104) |
| Vice-Chancellor, Executive Directors and Directors | | | | 1. Agrawal S. K. Rethinking University set-up, University |
| take the decisions and the Registrar is asked to | | | | News, Monday, October 19, 1992. Pg.1 |
| implement the decision taken by them, or otherwise, | | | | 1. Ibid. |
| the committee is established for administrative purpose | | | | 1. A Gnanam, Towards Excellence in Higher Education, |
| and Registrar is one of the members of the | | | | An Opportunity and A Challenge, University News, |
| Committee when he has to implement the decisions | | | | Monday, October, 19, 1992 Pg. 5. (Vice -Chancellor, |
| though it is against his opinion and the rules. | | | | Pondicherry University, Pondicherry - 605 104) |
| Moreover, other administrative officers have no any | | | | 10. Ibid. |
| authority to take decisions, control the staff, no | | | | 11. Ramesh, K. (1991) Human relations in an Indian |
| purchasing power, no authority to implement the ideas | | | | University - An organisational perspective, Delhi, Ajanta |
| of him in his unit etc. He is purely, working as an | | | | Publication referred by Chaudhari U.S and Vaidya |
| assistant in the bureaucracy of the university. But he is | | | | Shobha, University News, Monday, January 18, 1993. |
| held responsible for non-doing things which are never | | | | Pg.3 |
| directly shouldered upon him. He is crushed between | | | | 12. Chaudhari U.S. and Vaidhya Shoba, University |
| the Karamacharis and the top administrators. If this is | | | | News, Monday, January 18, 1993. Pg.3 |
| the situation of the present administration, it is futile to | | | | 13. Bickel, William E, (1983) Effective Schools-: |
| expect the quality of the work in the university set-up. | | | | Knowledge, dissemination, inquiry, Educational |
| The accountability of any work leads it towards the | | | | Researcher 12 (4), 3-16 referred by Ibid. Pg.3 |
| quality which is not found in present set-up. | | | | 14. Whitehead A. N. (1962), The Aims of education and |
| 5. CHANGING ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIORS. | | | | other essays. London : Ernest Benn referred by |
| “The existing university administration system | | | | Chaudhari U.S. and Vaidhya Shoba, University News, |
| leaves much to be desired and hence call for | | | | Monday, January 18, 1993. Pg.3 |
| sweeping reforms. The basic objective and philosophy | | | | 15. Aslanian Carol B. (1992) Adults on Campus. Span |
| of administrative reforms should be to reduce | | | | xxxiii (6) 12-13 June referred by Chaudhari U.S. and |
| unwarranted and unnecessary controls and to provide | | | | Vaidhya Shoba, University News, Monday, January 18, |
| autonomy with accountability to all these who are | | | | 1993. Pg. |