What are the provisions in the Gujarat Common Universities Bill?

Gandhinagar: The government is going to introduce The Gujarat Common Universities Bill in the state assembly likely on Friday. This bill includes provisions for establishing an investigation panel to scrutinize the actions of the vice chancellor. If the inquiry uncovers any irregularities, the government will have the power to dismiss the vice chancellor from their position.

According to sources within the education department, the new bill introduces several new measures while retaining the authority of the Governor, which had been transferred to the government in the 2015 bill.

The proposed bill also specifies that directors for technical education, higher education, and the principal secretary-education will no longer serve as members of the academic and executive councils due to their lack of attendance at meetings. Instead, it suggests appointing principals, deans, heads of departments (HODs), and professors to these councils.

If passed, the bill will also extend the vice chancellor’s term from the current three years to five years. The vice chancellor will not be eligible for reappointment in the same university but can hold the position in a different university. Additionally, the vice chancellor will have a role in the appointment of deans for various faculties, with these appointments being made on a rotational basis.

The bill also proposes that utilization of a university’s reserve funds will be overseen by its board, with no government involvement. DeshGujarat