But with the growth came the obvious: an increased distance — literally and metaphorically — between the university’s central administration and the colleges. In terms of governance and maintenance. The varsity administration now plans to bridge this gap by setting up a committee next week.

The committee, a brainchild of DU Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental, will work out details of making the university centre more accessible to colleges, and vice-versa.

First up, he said, the upcoming committee would look into the issue of budgets for colleges, “so that each gets equal opportunities. At present, colleges get their grants directly from the Union Grants Commission (but) we want to get it done through the main administrative block because we are the ones launching the courses.”

He added, “We know which courses deserve what budget.”

Committee members will discuss the needs and requirements of different colleges with principals, faculty members and students. “This committee has been tentatively titled ‘Committee for Rationalising Governance in Colleges and Building Relationship of University with the Colleges’,” the vice-chancellor said. “It will look into faculty discipline, budget, tenure of the principal and management among other issues.”

The idea, he said, is to grant each college an equal opportunity to improve. “It will start work from the next academic session.”

Still unaware of the upcoming committee, authorities at most colleges, however, responded positively to the idea when Newsline spoke with them. “I always thought there is a lot of distance between the central administrative block and individual colleges,” Kirori Mal College principal Bhimsen Singh said. “I hope this committee will help build better ties.”