The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Political rumblings in varsity syndicate

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Friday, Nov 23, 2007
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Political rumblings in varsity syndicate

Staff Correspondent

Differences over amendment to Act

Bangalore: Politics seems to be reigning high in Bangalore University. Political considerations apparently influenced the previous Government to amend the Karnataka State Universities Act 2000 in favour of two Syndicate members.

Earlier, the Syndicate had to be reconstituted once in three years, irrespective of when members took charge. However, with the amendment, the reconstitution had become more individual specific, where a member would retire only after completion of the three-year tenure.

Two members, A.P. Ranganatha and D. Ayyappa, considered close to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular), who were nominated about eight months ago, will complete their full three-year term. If the amendment had not been made, they would have had to demit office on November 5 when the Syndicate was due for reconstitution, said a former Syndicate member. M. Prakash, former Syndicate member, said the two members, though qualified, did not have any academic credentials. “It is possible that they may have influenced the amendment to the Act. In fact, the previous Vice-Chancellor and a few members had strongly opposed their inclusion in the Syndicate,” he said.

Counter-charge

Reacting to the charge of using undue influence, Mr. Ayyappa said that it was a “misconception” that either he or Mr. Ranganatha had something to do with the amendment. “It was a pending Bill, which was cleared on August 23. How can you come to the conclusion that either of us had anything to do with it?” he asked. “We are here only to serve the university and improve the systems in place, not to do any ‘business’. If one studies the Act, one will know that there were a few legal problems, which have now been ironed out with the amendment,” he said. Governor Rameshwar Thakur, on Thursday, informed the university about his nominees for the Syndicate.

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