Academics welcome split of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur universities

Academics welcome split of Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur universities


Mumbai: Educationists have welcomed the state’s proposal to bifurcate Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur universities even as higher education minister Rajesh Tope clarified on Thursday that nothing had been decided.
A day after Tope was reported to have announced the ‘decision’ to bifurcate the universities, he said the decision would be based on the recommendations of a committee.
In fact, Tope said, the government will set up more than one panel to study how to split the universities. “One will do a geographical analysis, including jurisdiction and distance students have to travel,” he said. “Another will look at the financial aspects and manpower requirements.” The teams are expected to submit their reports in three months.
Several academicians said bifurcation may be the only way to prevent some of India’s oldest universities losing their sheen. “I am happy that the bifurcation has been proposed,” said Abhay Pethe, head of Mumbai University’s economics department. “A university is an institution involved with the creation of knowledge. Unfortunately, Mumbai for long was only a degree-giving, affiliating university.
“Now, with so many colleges of a heterogeneous nature affiliated to it, it has become unmanageable. So, bifurcation is the answer.”
“Mumbai University has over 600 colleges affiliated to it,” said another educationist. “Its jurisdiction spreads over Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Ratnagiri. With such a vast spread, it’s impossible to administer. With smaller universities, vice-chancellors can concentrate on providing academic leadership.”
Other academicians said factors like availability of funds and land, and the brand of the parent university must be considered. “They can look at bifurcation where there is a different administrative set-up for each and a different name,” a principal said. “Else they can explore sub-campuses as in Europe where each set-up has autonomy but retains the name of the parent varsity.”
Tapati Mukhopadhyay, general secretary of the Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union, said nothing should be done in haste and all stakeholders, including teachers, must be consulted. “It shouldn’t become a mere bureaucratic exercise,” she said.

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