185 university colleges to go under public universities:Daily Sun

 The government has planned to bring some 185 university colleges under public universities in order to ensure their effective functioning and reduce session jams. Official sources said some 185 government university colleges will be brought under the authority of 36 public universities to reduce academic and administrative pressure on the National University. “As the National University has been
in a deep trouble in dealing with the activities of a huge number of colleges, the government has taken a plan to bring the renowned university colleges under public universities,” University Grants Commission member Professor Mohabbat Khan told daily sun. “If the plan is implemented, the session jam will come down,” he said. The Education Ministry took the move following a directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The premier visited the ministry on August 31 and asked the ministry to bring the renowned university colleges under public varsities for their smooth functioning. In the latest development, the ministry on November 5 asked the UGC chairman to take measures to implement the premier’s directive. The UGC is scheduled to hold a meeting with vice-chancellors of 36 universities, except that of Arabic University, today to seek their opinion about the implementation of the directive. UGC sources say that the university colleges having honours and masters courses in the divisions or districts will be brought under the management of public varsities in those regions. Under the plan, Dhaka College, Eden University College and Titumir University College may be brought under Dhaka University, an official, said citing an example. At present, there are about 2,000 graduate and post-graduate colleges under the NU founded in 1992 to help students complete their studies on time. But students suffer most under the NU as the state-run institution has been failed to materialise the dream due to various complexities. UGC member Mohabbat Khan said university colleges remained under public varsities before the inception of the NU. “Performances of those colleges were not poor during that time. Sessions jam will be reduced further if the colleges are again brought under the authority of public universities,” he said. Prof Khan, however, said that there is no confusion that university colleges are being under the net of the public varsities. NU VC Professor Haurn-or-Rashid said that it will happen what the government will think about the university colleges. “A meeting will be held at UGC on Sunday to take decision on this regard,” he said. Asked about the functioning of the university colleges under public varsities, DU VC AAMS Arefin Siddique told daily sun if the government brings the university colleges under public universities, the academic council of respective varsities will take a decision how to run the colleges. Ferdous Zaman, additional director of the UGC’s public university division, told daily sun that 185 or 186 universities will be brought under public universities to lessen pressure on the NU. When contacted, UGC chairman AK Azad Chowdhury refused to make any comment on the issue.