The first combined meeting of the governing and academic councils of the autonomous Maharaja’s College held here on Saturday approved a Rs. 20 lakh proposal for securing funds from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and approved an initiative to tap funds for providing scholarships to the students.
The governing council headed by P.K. Abdul Azis, former vice chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, ratified the constitution of a finance committee as per the provisions laid down by the UGC for autonomous colleges. It will be headed by the college principal and the other members include the vice principal and an expert from the governing council.
Principal T.V. Francy said the Rs. 20 lakh assistance earmarked by the UGC would be utilised for organising seminars and introducing programmes to step up the quality of higher education.
A five-member committee headed by the college vice principal will approach the alumni and other stakeholders requesting them to raise funds for providing scholarship to students. The funds would be used to encourage meritorious students pursue their academic and cultural interests. Members of the boards of studies will meet in the next two weeks. They will place their recommendations before the academic council for approval.
The governing council meet was organised with police protection. Ernakulam Central police had placed nine SFI activists under preventive arrest before the meeting began. Maharaja’s College Samrakshana Samithi organised a dharna demanding the withdrawal of autonomous status. A release issued by the Samithi said a provision in the ordinance on autonomous colleges that permitted the governing council to fix fees would pave way for self-financing programmes and commercialisation of higher education.
