‘Constant political interference has caused irreparable damage to universities’

MADURAI

Constant political interference in universities, especially in appointments to leadership positions, has caused irreparable damage to the institutions which produced outstanding work in post-Independence India, said Chair Professor of National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, P. Balaram on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 54th Annual Convocation of Madurai Kamaraj University, in the presence of Governor R.N. Ravi and Union Minister of State for Fisheries L. Murugan, Mr. Balaram said the British, who left 75 years ago, were blamed for the ills of the educational system. A little introspection would allow one to see that the dramatic decline of universities, both State and Central, began in the 1970s and accelerated through the 1980s and 1990s.

The answer to this decline had been creation of new institutions and focusing on national centres, often leaving universities impoverished. The decline of higher education in India might have been catalysed by the choice of nomenclature in describing courses of study, he said.

Medicine and Engineering, along with disciplines such as law, pharmaceutical sciences and architecture, had for long been called professional courses. They were regulated by professional bodies.

The regulatory bodies had all acquired bad reputation over the years as the escalating costs of professional education and increasing pace of privatisation had led to both corruption and extortion in admission of students and approvals for new institutions. Dismally poor funding of educational institutions for research had not helped in creating an academic ambience that could promote discovery, Mr. Balaram said.

Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University J. Kumar said that in the 54th convocation, a total of 1,33,091 candidates received their degrees. A total of 905 Ph.D. scholars and 136 meritorious students were honoured with medals.

Former Dean of Research, Loyola College, S. Vincent was conferred with D.Sc., for Excellence in Academic and Research. Deputy Superintendent of Police, attached to the Armed Reserve in Virudhunagar district, J. Shivakumar, received his doctorate in Graph Theory.