M.C. Chagla: Varsities should be insulated against politics

Saigon: The Union education minister M.C. Chagla, told the Congress Parliamentary Party’s executive committee today that one of the causes of student unrest was lack of proper leadership from vice-chancellors.

Unfortunately, many appointments of vice-chancellors were actuated by political considerations, he said.

Most members of the executive committee agreed with Chagla’s criticism of the appointment of vice-chancellors, and with his view that many of the genuine grievances of students had not been looked into or redressed.

The executive discussed the student problem for about two hours today.

Raghunath Singh, secretary, presided over the meeting in the absence of leader Indira Gandhi, who had gone to the airport to see off President Nasser. He said that defeated ministers, retired officers, retired high court judges and politicians should not be appointed as vice-chancellors.

H.C. Mathur suggested that a national panel should be formed for the appointment of vice-chancellors.

Chagla said that student unrest was not merely a law and order problem. Many of the genuine grievances of students had not been redressed. As a shortterm measure, there were many things which could be done without much expense.

Chagla said that a convention should be established under which vice-chancellors were appointed by state governments in consultation with the Union ministry of education.