BANGALORE: The Cabinet on Thursday decided to amend the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000. It will allow the Government to nominate "persons who have contributed to the field of education" to university syndicates in place of "eminent educationists."

Sections 28 and 30 of the Act specify that the State Government can nominate six "eminent educationists" to the Syndicate. The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the universities in the State, nominates two persons of his choice.

Earlier this year, Higher Education Minister D. Manjunath sparked a battle of sorts with Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor M.S. Thimmappa after the latter rejected six persons nominated by the Government on the grounds that none of them qualified as eminent educationists.

After Governor T.N. Chaturvedi too expressed unhappiness over the development and protests from academia, the Government decided not to go ahead with the nominations.

The change in the law to redefine the eligibility of persons who can be nominated to the Syndicate, the top decision-making body of the university, has been in the air for quite some time.

The Government's nominees at the time were C.R. Somasundar and A.P. Ranganath, both advocates; Sanjay M. Dhariwal, a chartered accountant; K.A. Anand, a trustee of the Renukamba Educational Trust, Nelamangala; G. Krishna Singh, who has already been a member of the university's Academic Council, and hence cannot be renominated to either body.

The amended Section 29 enables the Government to nominate and "denominate" persons who have made contributions in the field of education.

Amendment to Section 25 of the Act will mean that instead of cancelling the post of Joint Directors of Collegiate Education, they will be re-designated as Directors of the College Development Board.

`Retrograde'

Meanwhile, Dr. Thimmappa termed "retrograde" the Government's decision to amend the Karnataka Universities Act. "It defeats the very purpose for which the Act was promulgated. The primary reasons for the Act - to improve the academic excellence and autonomy of institutions - are eroded by this amendment," he told The Hindu.

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