Panel wants varsity dons retirement age hiked

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

The five-member University Review Committee headed by Prof BK Kuthiala constituted to improve the quality of higher education in the state today presented its report to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma.

The recommendations of the committee included, among others, increasing the retirement age of university teachers to 65 years and that of the Vice-Chancellor to 70 years, besides enhancing their tenure to five years. Other recommendations included following the recommendations of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan and constituting an Uchchatar Shiksha Parishad, Haryana.

The committee, which included Om Parkash Arya, Rajnish Arora, Yogesh Singh and Rakesh Gupta, carried out intensive study of the higher education system in Haryana. The members also visited various universities and interacted with teachers, students and officials.

The committee has suggested that every university student must devote minimum 25 hours per week in the classroom or in the laboratory. Besides, all students graduating from a university must have some skills other than their basic subjects of study.

The panel has also recommended that work be carried out in all state universities in a uniform manner in accordance with a single Act, the draft outline of which has been presented by it.

It has also proposed a formula under which each university would get funds depending upon the number of teachers, employees and students and asked the government to declare grants to universities in March.

Besides, it has urged the government not to discriminate between private and public universities to promote research and innovation.