COIMBATORE: Opposing any probable moves by the newly- elected AIADMK government to merge the five Anna Universities of Technology (AUT) and reversing the decentralisation of control of engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu, an academician said, “Both the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) as well as the Yashpal Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education have recommended the creation of more universities.The NKC, in fact, has mooted the setting up of 1,500 universities.In this backdrop closing down universities will be a retrograde step.” On the contrary, there is a view that the performance of the AUTs needs to be reviewed without disturbing their structure and if needed put competent persons at the helm. “Instead of a merger or conversion into unitary universities, the Government can crack the whip on nonperforming vice-chancellors who came to occupy the post through backdoor channels of Raj Bhavan and Secretariat,” an academician said.The Government should also bring in new norms to select able vice-chancellors with high levels of integrity in the future.“For this, not only should the State adopt the UGC’s new regulations governing the appointment of vice-chancellors but also introduce provisions to hold the vice-chancellors accountable for administrative and financial misdeeds. If necessary, the AIADMK Government should probe the functioning of all universities during the past five years and dig out corruption in the corridors of higher education,” a senior academician said.
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