Jaipur: The University of Rajasthan (RU) convened a senate body meeting Wednesday, which it claimed was the first in 15 years. A day later, the assertion was contested by former vice chancellors and professors who argued that the university’s history of holding such meetings contradicts the claim.During the meeting, important decisions regarding the university’s administration, finance, and academic development were discussed. A unanimous budget for the upcoming financial year was approved, along with a proposal to urge the state govt to reverse a 25% grant reduction, which has raised concerns given the university’s current financial constraints. A former vice chancellor, speaking anonymously, criticised the university’s assertion that no senate meeting had occurred in 15 years, stating that senate approval is routinely sought prior to convocations for degree conferral. “But, this meeting was conducted without the presence of the stakeholders of higher education in the state – the chancellor, higher education minister and senior officials from the department,” the former vice chancellor told TOI. Another former vice chancellor pointed out that although the meeting was scheduled to take place in Feb, it was postponed without providing members a written agenda. “It seemed like the invite was merely a formality, not a call where the administration is keen on discussing growth of the university,” the ex-VC said. In response to the criticisms, Vice Chancellor Prof Alpana Kateja defended the meeting’s legitimacy. She clarified that the last full body senate meeting indeed took place on Oct 25, 2010, after which only emergency sessions were held before convocations. “All due processes were followed for this senate body meeting. Not every member could attend, given the number of state universities, but they were notified of the meeting,” she said. “Several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with institutions such as NASSCOM, RKCL, NIA, and IIHMR, as well as the associated courses and budgets, were approved,” the vice chancellor added.
