Chandigarh, Dec 17 (PTI) Opposition Congress MLAs on Friday alleged that the BJP-led government in Haryana is trying to infringe upon the autonomy of universities and control the institutions by implementing its own ideology.

They said the government's decision to appoint teaching and non-teaching staff at state universities through the HSSC and the HPSC is a "direct attack on the autonomy of the universities".

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“The government's move will have an adverse effect on education and research work in the universities,” seven Congress MLAs said in their calling attention notice, which was taken up on the opening day of the Haryana Assembly's winter session here.

Senior Congress MLA B B Batra, whose separate calling attention on the matter was clubbed with the main notice, said in the House that the National Education Policy-2020 has promised more autonomy, autonomous working culture in Indian universities and free environment to the academic institutions but present directive of state government goes against the spirit it.

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“ The government is trying to infringe upon the autonomy of the universities. Universities have their own procedure by statute for the recruitment process. Centralisation of recruitment will hurt the universities by crippling them to manage their needs themselves,” said Batra.

“It is an attack on the autonomy of universities and an attempt to control the academic institutions by implementing its own ideology,” Batra alleged.

However, in his reply, Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal sought to allay opposition members' concern and said the government's move does not affect the autonomy of the university in any way.

“This step will provide relief to the university from the intricacies involved in the selection process,” he said.

The minister said the vice-chancellor will be involved in the entire selection process.

Seven opposition MLAs, including Geeta Bhukkal, Raghuvir Singh Kadian, Chiranjeevi Rao and Aftab Ahmed, said the government's interference in the recruitment process is being done to “give a back door entry to their favourites and choicest candidates or party loyals”.

“It will ultimately ruin Haryana universities,” they alleged, adding "policy changes are not random acts of whims and fancies of those in power".

They accused the BJP-led government of trying to control academic institutions and impose party ideology.

“The government is trying to wrest control of appointments, which is a violation of University Grants Commission guidelines,” said the Congress MLAs.

Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda urged the government “not to take away autonomy of universities”.

Congress leader Geeta Bhukkal, who is also former education minister, termed the government's move “as black law for the education system”.

INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said the government interference this will impact merit criteria.

Education Minister Kanwar Pal said the Haryana Public Service Commission and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, wherever necessary, will conduct a written examination and the selection committee will be headed by the vice-chancellor.

The education minister said all vice-chancellors were consulted before taking this decision.

The state government will not make the selection itself, but the work will be entrusted to the HPSC and the HSSC, which are autonomous constitutional bodies, he asserted, adding that the decision will not affect the essential qualifications and norms prescribed by the UGC.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)