Unsurprisingly, the Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) has come under scathing criticism from the education minister, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the representatives of the 79 private universities of the country. The anti-graft body's fault is that it came up with a report prepared on the basis of a research concerning widespread irregularities and illegal money transaction in some of the private universities. The report claimed that a section of the education ministry, UGC and private universities are involved in bribery at different stages - from approval of universities to appointment of vice chancellors, pro-vice chancellors and treasurers to issuance of certificates. The report claims that money can buy certificates from private universities. One university is reported to have issued certificates to about 300 students in exchange for Tk 0.3 million each. Again, money within the range of Tk 10 million to 30 million exchange hands illegally on account of obtaining approval for universities with dubious distinctions. Such illegal transactions to the tune of Tk 50,000 to 0.2 million for approval of the appointment of vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and treasurer are the order of the day. Then the amount of bribe money exchanged on different heads are like this: Tk 50,000 to 100,000 for inspection to a university, Tk 10,000 to 50,000 for resolution of complaints against a university, Tk 10,000 to 30,000 for approval of faculties, Tk 10,000 to 20,000 for approval of department, Tk 5,000 to 10,000 for syllabus approval. The rate of fake certificate issuance is Tk 50,000 to 0.3 million and scrutiny involves an amount of Tk 50,000 to 100,000.
The TIB discloses that the research work was conducted between June 20012 and May 2014 among 22 private universities of Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. Information was collected on the basis of random selections. The education ministry took serious exception to this 'untrue and fabricated' report. And the UGC has termed it ludicrous. More importantly, the education minister threw a challenge before the TIB to substantiate its 'baseless' contentions. If it cannot, the TIB will have to withdraw its report and apologise to the nation. On its part, the education ministry followed up with sending letters to all the private universities to know what their responses to the TIB report was. Only one of the universities accused a UGC official of taking bribes but later on withdrew the claim. So the minister's conclusion is that the report is not right.
So far as matters related to higher studies are concerned, the UGC is responsible. Why the education minister has become so irate is incomprehensible. The UGC has dismissed the TIB report as ludicrous but it has not explained why it is so. Let it disprove the TIB report's contention.
In graft cases, at least two parties are involved and here the stake for bribe-givers is no less than that of those who accept the illegal money. How can one expect either of the guilty parties will come straight on the issue? An admission to bribe giving or receiving will enhance none of the parties' reputation or image. What is however notable here is that the education minister's disclosure of cancellation of registration of 15 private universities -ones which are still in the business with stay order from the High Court - speaks of practices the UGC or the ministry does not approve of. Now here is a grey area where both sides are likely to be both right and wrong. There is no reason that the 15 black horses have suddenly given up wrongdoings. Now for how long have they been enjoying the benefit of the stay order? The ministry and the UGC surely have responsibility to expediently move against the universities' appeal for stay order. Have they done so? At least there was a prime need for making it known to the nation that there were 15 private universities which ran with orders from the court.
Involved here is the future of a large number of students because they are continuing admission of new batches as usual by taking the advantage of the stay order. What if the court order goes against a few of these universities and their operation declared illegal? It is a tricky situation indeed. This also highlights the introduction of commercialisation of higher education by some quarters which could not care less about the maintenance of quality or ethics. One glaring example of such commercialisation and mismatch is the presence of chairmen and vice chancellors of rival groups of at least two universities. Then representatives of several groups of another university also attended the meeting convened by the ministry, where the TIB report was rejected outright and condemned.
Are there two vice chancellors for a university anywhere, except for Bangladesh, in the world? At least three universities have six vice chancellors. Such universities have more than one trustee boards and registrars. No wonder, cases involving their disputes lie with the court. How such universities run and what goes within is anyone's guess. Then the rule is clear that universities will not have their campuses. But reportedly one university has as many as 140 campuses. Against more than one vice chancellor for a university, 27 private universities have no vice chancellors, 18 of the total 79 have pro-vice chancellors and 30 have treasurers and the rest have none. These are gross anomalies and anomalies breed anomalies.
Facts like this speak for themselves. To be in defence of such universities is to become a party to the gross irregularities in education. So the education ministry would have done better if it ordered a high-level investigation into the irregularities the TIB has highlighted in its report. Instead, it has convened a meeting where the TIB representatives were not invited. But the warring factions of several universities found a meeting point to be present all right. If the TIB report proves false, it must not only apologise but also be awarded stringent punishment. But if it stands by its report, can the education minister take appropriate measures against the guilty parties?
The minister has already beaten about the bush in the case of question paper leakage in higher secondary examinations. Instead of identifying the culprits, he favours holding examinations without gap except for government holidays. This is an absurd solution. He is on record saying, "We in our time sat for exam of two papers or subjects a day." Please forget those horrendous days. Today's SSC and HSC syllabi are heavier than before. Do not punish the innocent instead of the guilty.                        Â
nilratanhalder2000@yahoo.com
Why reject TIB report on private universities?
Nilratan Halder | Published: July 11, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
Share if you like