GUWAHATI, Jan 24 — The Committee on Fiscal Reforms (COFR) has suggested that sanction of grants-in-aid to the State’s colleges and universities should be made contingent on the adherence to the University Grants Commission (UGC) by the colleges and universities concerned and that such grants to these institutions should be reduced at the rate of ten per cent each year, for the next five years. The COFR has also called for steps to facilitate attainment of self-sufficiency by the institutions of higher learning so that the State Government’s financial commitments to these institutions can be reduced to that extent. However, in order to alleviate any hardship after hiking of fees by these institutions, the COFR said in its report, that the State Government ‘may institute a number of scholarships, covering tuition fees and maintenance allowance, which should be made available to all meritorious poor students irrespective of caste and other considerations. They should be entitled to enjoy the scholarships in any institute, whether private or government’.
It also recommended that the teachers and non-teaching staff of universities, colleges and other institutions of higher learning receiving government grants should be asked to resign, rather than taking leave, before contesting any election to the Parliament or to the State Legislative in the greater interest of a good academic atmosphere. Already the State Government has prohibited journalism and LIC etc agencies for them, the COFR report reminded. The COFR, while analysing the State Government’s liability in the form of grants-in-aid to the educational institutions, said that there were 1,90,433 teachers on State Government’s payroll, against 2,69,268 employees in all the other departments in 1998-99. So, teachers formed 41.43 per cent of the total 4,59,701 employees. In order to ensure effective utilisation of the amounts spent on educational institutions and such expenditure result in positive benefit for the society, the State Government should scrupulously follow the guidelines of the Expenditure Reforms Commission, the COFR report said.
And the institutions? They should follow certain uniform norms, optimise the expenditure and maximise their receipts through user charges at reasonable rates. They should become transparent and accountable, because, it is public money that they are spending, the report said. A study is necessary to determine the functions which the Education Department at the Secretariat, Directorate and Inspectorate levels should perform and the number and categories of employees it should have with reference to these functions. The tentative impression that COFR got is that the Department has become too unwieldy and can easily shed a lot of flab, the report said.
Pre-primary, elementary education: Commenting on the pre-primary and elementary education, the report said that all matters relating to pre-primary and elementary education should be transferred to the panchayats and municipalities with immediate effect. As far as financing these institutions, the State Finance Commission may consider the details, the report said. It also said that the State Government should ensure that merit and capability are the only criteria adopted in recruitment of teachers. For this purpose, committees of experts consisting of non-political personalities with good reputation should be appointed, the report said.
“COFR was amazed to be informed that at least in the primary stage teachers have been recruited without proper qualification and training. A recent survey at the instance of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration found that in Assam only 47.5 per cent of the teachers have the academic qualification (10+2) and a proper professional qualification of having undergone a two-year training course. It appears that in Assam the duration of training has been reduced to only six months,” the report said. It recommended a crash programme for training of teachers and placing requests with the Indira Gandhi National Open University for providing with a distance learning course for the purpose. “No one who fails in the final test should be retained in service,” the report said.
Autonomy to institutions of higher education: The COFR recommended granting autonomy to institutions like Cotton College, saying, “Cotton College, for example, has such an image and reputation that if it is made autonomous it can certainly become self-sufficient. Conferment of deemed university status will add to its self-esteem and pride. Autonomy should also be considered for the Assam Agricultural University and the other government colleges, including institutions of technical education, such as, Medical, Engineering, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Homeopathy, Ayurvedic, etc Colleges. Freed from government fetters they will function better.”