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REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY ENQUIRY COMMISSION BIHAR ON THE WORKING OF THE PATNA -t. UNIVERSITY 1966 PRINTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT SECRETARIAT PRESS, BIHAR, PATNA 1967 TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter Contents. P ages. I. Our terms of reference and our procedure ... ... 1—2 II. Academic freedom and its scope ... ... ... 3— 5 , III. A brief retrospect, the Visitor and the Officers of the University 6— 11 TV. The Senate, the Syndicate, the Academic Council and the 12— 23 Examination Board. V. Finance and Financial Administration ... ... ... 24— 27 VI. Students, Guardians, the Police and the Politician ... ... 28— 30 VII. Teachers, Teaching and Research ... ... ... 31— 33 VIII. The Universities, the U. G. C., the State Government and the 34—37 State University Commission. IX. Out Recommendations ... ... ... ... 38—43 X. Some suggestions for a friending the Patna University Act, 1961 44— 45 XI. Conclusion ... ... ... ... .... 46 A ppendices ... ... ssa ..* ... 47—116 NIEPA DC D02395 Sdb. National Systems Unit, National Institute of Educational Planning and Amimstfatiol* 17-B.SriAurfcindo Marg h ) wnplhi-nClOl^ D O C . N o . j ^ t . 3 . Date.2^*&i£X CHAPTER I OUE TEEMS OF EEFEEENCE AND OUE PEOCEDURE. W e were appointed by the Government of Bihar (vide notification no. 445, dated the 21st February, 1966) “ to enquire into and report generally within three months from the date the Commission starts functioning, on the working of the different Univer­ sities of the State from the time they have been established to the month of December, 1965” and particularly to report on (a) the working of the Senate, the Syndicate, the Academic Council and the Examination Board, (b) the irregularities on the part of the officers of the Universities in the disposal of their official work, (c) the working of the affiliated colleges, (d) the financial condition of the Universities and (e) the comments made by the Inter-University Board in their report in respect of the different Universi­ ties. W e were also required to report on the changes to be made in the provisions of the Acts, the Statutes, the Ordinances and the Begulations with a view to bringing about overall improvement in the affairs of the Universities and also on such other matters as the Commission thought fit to report to the State Government. 2. W e now submit our report on the Patna University. Eeports on other State Universities will be submitted shortly. 3. Our terms of reference cover a wide field and would justify investigation of almost any circumstances relevant to the working of the Patna University. But in preparing both our analysis and our recommendations we have tried to concentrate on leading aspects and leading problems. There are, therefore, many questions with which we have not dealt, notably questions specifically related to individual cases of hardship or injustice and we apologise to those who submitted evidence on such matters. 4. The procedure, we adopted was what we believe at once business-like and effective. A comprehensive questionnaire (consisting of 38 specific items) touching upon all the important aspects of items included in the terms of reference was framed and issued to a representative cross-section of society. Detailed proformas (10 in number) were sent to the Universities in order to obtain full and correct information on the functioning of the Universities and on their financial position. We visited the Universities and interviewed witnesses and recorded their views on all items listed in the terms of reference. A dozen sets of questions were framed on the materials furnished to the Commission by the witnesses and these questions were sent to the Vice-Chancellors for obtaining necessary clarification and comment. Special investigation was made of the financial condition of the Universities with the help of the Finance Department which deputed a team of auditors under the supervision of Shri B. D. Eai, the Deputy Controller of Accounts, to assist the Commission. 5. The Commission was initially constituted for a period of three months only with effect from the 23rd February 1966 (vide notification no. 445, dated the 21st February 1966). Subsequently the life of the Commission was extended by four months (vide notification no. 1360, dated the 27th March, 1966) and finally the period has been extended till the end of February, 1967 (vide notification no. 3022, dated the 25th November 1966). 6. Originally, the Commission consisted of Mr. K. Dayal as Chairman and Mr. G. N. Sinha as member. Unfortunately Mr. G. N. Sinha expired on the 9th March 1966, and Mr. S. P. Sinha was appointed in his place on the 22nd April 1966. Later Mr. K. Dayal, the Chairman, was taken ill and had to resign. The Commission was then re-constituted with Mr. S. P. Sinha as Chairman and Mr. K. Ahmad, Director of Public Instruction, Bihar as part-time member of the Commission. The unavoidable changes in the composition of the Commission, the fact that a whole-time Secretary was made available to! the Commission as late as the 6th June, 1966, the inadequate ministerial staff sanctioned and the very short time given to the Commission when it was expected to report on the working of all the five State Universities—all these and 2 other handicaps hindered the working of the Commission. It appeared that the State Government desired a great deal of work to be done in a very short time and at very little cost. 7. W e have divided the report into several convenient chapters. Our endeavour has been to cover as far as possible all the matters referred to us and also a few other matters that seemed to be of importance to us. W e have tried to be brief and lucid and have arranged our material in such a way as to throw into relief what is of real importance. 8. W e have been very conscious that this has been the first time in the history of this State that a University Enquiry Commission of this kind has been constituted by the State Governmeijt. Our experience has been that the reports usually submitted by such Commissions are of a formal nature and that they gloss; over real defects by using beautiful and high sounding words. W e have chosen to be frank and outspoken and have refused to mince matters, for we feel that University Education in this State is in a very perilous condition and thati the future of our State and of our country depends on the courage and fearlessness and outspokenness with which we face this perilous situation. We may have tread on sensitive corns and we apologise in advance for the discomfort that we may have caused. CHAPTER II ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND ITS SCOPE. 9*. Before making a detailed examination of the working of the Patna University it is perhaps necessary to discuss briefly the so-called concept of autonomy and of academic freedom. 10. It is necessary because the word autonomy in current usage is used by the Universities to ward off all evil criticism, it gives them the divine right to< commit one blunder after another, to squander public funds without any compunction, without any feeling of guilt. As the Bobbin’s Report has put it, “ the concept of academic freedom entertained in most western countries has two aspects—personal and institutional. It involves the relationships of the individual teacher to his colleagues, his pupils and his institution. It involves the relations of academic institutions to society and the institutions of Government” . 11. Let us first take the concept of individual freedom. To quote again from the Robbin’s Report: “ For the individual teacher academic freedom means the absence of discriminatory treatment on grounds of race, sex, religion and politics; and the right to teach according to his own conception of fact and truth rather than according to any predetermined orthodoxy. It involves, further, freedom to publish and, subject to the proper performance of allotted duties, freedom to pursue wliat personal studies or researches are congenial.” This individual freedom, however, “ does not include the right to refuse to perform a due share of necessary duties or to accept an assigned place in work demanding co-operation” . The individual teacher is a member of a department and of an institution and he has to perform his due share of the duties that are assigned to him as a member of the department and of the institution. Individual freedom also does not include the freedom to neglect one’s duties, the freedom not to prepare one’s lectures,-the freedom not to take one’s classes, the freedom not to correct the tutorial exercises, the freedom to refuse to help the pupils in various ways vrtxen svich help is called for. The Robbin’s Report has it that important difficulties arise not with individuals but with institutions but experience in our Universities has shown that important difficulties arise precisely in connection with individuals as they misuse the concept of individual freedom. 12. The second aspect of academic freedom involves the relations of academic institutions to society and the institutions of Government. “ When an autonomous institution is mainly dependent for its income not on the fees of the pupils or private endowments but on subventions from the S'tate how far should it have completely independent powers of initiative and final decision?” —this is the question to which we have to give our attention. In our State the Universities are dependent almost wholly on grants from the State. “ W e believe” , the Report goes on to say, “ that the system that aims at the maximum of independence compatible with the necessary degrees of public control is good in itself as reflecting the ultimate value of a free society” .

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