State universities don't need to follow common syllabus: Tamil Nadu Governor

CHENNAI: In yet another standoff with the state government, governor R N Ravi has said that higher educational institutions are under no obligation to follow the common syllabus prepared by the state government.

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) has released the model syllabus for 301 UG and PG programmes and asked all state universities and colleges to follow at least 75% common syllabus. They were given freedom to include 25% of content based on local needs. Following the opposition from autonomous colleges, the higher education department announced that it was optional for them.

In a letter to all vice-chancellors of state universities, Ravi said "The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made it clear that it is the university/autonomous college shall design the course/programme of study and syllabus in accordance with the regulations, framework, guidelines etc issued by the UGC from time to time with due approval of its statutory bodies like academic council and executive council."

This puts to rest any doubt or ambiguity regarding the common syllabus, he added.

He said that the issue was referred to UGC after a number of educationists, vice chancellors, principals of colleges and management of autonomous colleges raised a concern over the state higher education department aggressively pushing for adoption of common syllabus designed by TANSCHE and also because determination of standards of higher education is in the Union list and hence beyond the competence of the state government.

The concerns raised by educationists, vice chancellors, principals and school managements include "severe erosion of academic freedom, the prescribed common syllabus severely compromises quality of education as these are far below and behind the current syllabus followed by them, the Common syllabus will drive them out of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) that promotes healthy competition."