Jaipur: Rajasthan governor Haribhau Bagde flagged serious concerns over the deteriorating financial and academic health of state-funded universities, calling for fee revisions, relief on high-interest loans, pension reforms and stricter financial oversight to ensure their long-term sustainability.During a meeting with vice-chancellors of state-funded universities on Jan 21, the governor noted that tuition fees in these institutions had not been revised for nearly 10 to 12 years, severely weakening their financial position. According to the minutes of the meeting released on Jan 28, Bagde observed that prolonged stagnation in fees had affected the ability of these universities to meet rising operational costs.“When fees are not revised for a decade or more, it naturally weakens the financial position of universities and hampers their sustainability,” the minutes quoted the governor as saying. He recommended a calibrated and reasonable fee revision, stressing that any increase should be planned and announced well in advance and not implemented last-minute during the admission process.The minutes recorded the governor cautioning against abrupt fee hikes, noting that any sudden increases could trigger dissatisfaction and protests. Fee revision remains a sensitive issue in Rajasthan, with universities in the past having to shelve proposed hikes following resistance from student organisations.Bagde also drew attention to what he called a financial inconsistency in state policy. He pointed out that the state govt provides loans to state-funded universities at 10% to 12% interest, while nationalised banks generally extend loans at 8% to 10%. “Charging higher interest to a govt-funded institution appears inappropriate,” the governor remarked, urging the state govt to review its lending terms.In view of recent corruption cases against vice-chancellors that resulted in suspensions, the governor said every vice-chancellor must ensure a mandatory audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) during the third year of his or her tenure. Bagde added that an Accountant General audit should be compulsory in every VC’s term to strengthen transparency and financial accountability in universities.Touching upon staffing issues, the governor said universities that do not receive state funding for salaries should not face hurdles in obtaining approval for recruitment against vacant posts. “Approvals should be granted without delay to address the acute shortage of teachers,” he said, warning that prolonged vacancies were harming academic quality.Bagde also advocated greater inclusion of ancient Indian knowledge systems in higher education. He specifically suggested introducing texts authored by the Vedic saint Rishi Parashar and Bhakti movement leader Vallabhacharya into university curricula.According to the minutes, the governor had separately discussed the issue of pension payments in state-financed universities with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, apprising him of overall pension expenditures. He also proposed the formation of a dedicated committee to resolve pension-related issues and ensure timely payments to retired employees.The minutes, however, recorded that no progress on this matter had yet been communicated by the state govt. “I will raise the issue again,” the governor said, underlining the urgency of implementing structural reforms in the state’s higher education system.
