Edu-leaders

Colleges and universities in West Bengal should be given more autonomy to take strategic decisions but the government should also monitor how these institutions spend their funds, experts have suggested.

"Institutions and universities should be given more autonomy to perform within well-laid down rules and policies of the government. Autonomy should be given so that the institutions have freedom to take strategic decisions but it should also have some safeguard through monitoring measures such as auditing," IIM Calcutta Director Shekhar Chaudhuri said while addressing a meeting at the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

Institutions should be free from political influence, said J Felix Raj, Principal of St Xavier's College, Calcutta, the first autonomous college in the state.

"We have to create a conducive atmosphere for students in the universities. We should make sure that there is less political interference in the universities.”

"We have the autonomy since the last six years. But this autonomy should come with an adequate monitoring system," said Felix Raj.

"Crores of rupees have been spent for the development of higher education in the past few years. But I have seen many universities where crores spent have not yielded results. Many universities have not submitted their financial reports for years," said Sugata Margit, Chairman of the State Council for Higher Education and a leading economist.

Source: igovernment