MUMBAI, January 28: The critical proposal of granting autonomy to various university departments and affiliated colleges has now been forwarded by the University of Mumbai to Chancellor Dr P C Alexander for his consent.This was today disclosed by Vice-Chancellor Dr Snehalata Deshmukh at a function organised by the Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Management Studies and Research at Nerul. Said Deshmukh, ``Quite a few reputed institutes such as the VJTI in Matunga and the university departments of Mathematics, Physics and Economics are awaiting autonomy, and this proposal is presently pending in the chancellor's office for his approval.'' She added that only after his consent can the consigning statutes be fully implemented.
Citing the example of the University Department of Chemical Technology, an autonomous body, she reasoned that autonomy will improve the education system in the next millennium.
Praising the MGM college for removing the stress related to examinations by recently conducting them ona beach, Dr Deshmukh added that she has spoken to the university controller of examination to devise methods for making exams stress-free and holding them on schedule.
Concerned about the meagre salaries being offered by the UGC to full-time lecturers, Dr Deshmukh pointed that the face of the education system will certainly change for the better in the coming years. Part-time visiting faculty members will also be encouraged to impact education. When asked why American authors were preferred to Indian ones in the university management courses, she replied: ``Quite a few management books by Indians have also been published. In fact, the Mumbai University plans to publish a management text book for the present MBA syllabus.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
