ALTHOUGH the University Grants Commission (UGC) recommended taking action against at least four vice-chancellors (VCs) of public universities upon investigation of their alleged corruption and irregularities in the last two years, its recommendations apparently fell on deaf ears as the Education Ministry has so far let them go unpunished. This has resulted in a recurrence of irregularities at the country’s institutions of higher learning, say educationists.
The public universities, according to them, have enormous responsibilities to ensure quality higher education for making the young generation worthy of the competitive world. But academic corruption, fund embezzlement and unethical practices are rampant at public universities, causing a grave concern. There is no denying the fact that every corruption begets corruption but it must be more devastating when this occurs in the academic arena. There goes a wise saying that if you want to destroy a nation, first destroy its education. So, how can we save our education if our universities are corrupted?
It is alleged that unskilled, dishonest and less qualified teachers are becoming VCs of public universities due to political appointments. The VCs must be brought to book if irregularities and corruption allegations are found against them. The practice of politics within universities is the root cause of all sorts of immoral activities. The teaching communities are now getting divided into different groups. Most importantly, there has been an uneven competition among the teachers supporting the ruling party. The main cause of this competition is the lust to be posted to different administrative positions. Ideology does not play a part in this regard.
A news report published in a national daily on Tuesday said the institutions implicated in corruption are Rajshahi University (RU), Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU), Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) Gopalganj, and Begum Rokeya University (BRU), Rangpur. The VCs of RU and NSTU have finished their tenures and the BRU VC’s tenure is set to end soon. Only the BSMRSTU VC resigned in 2019 in the wake of criticism.
Thus, in order to uphold the higher education arena to produce quality graduates, the government must take immediate actions against those VCs who are manipulating their positions for personal gains and in a way putting the government under serious criticisms, as they are the appointees of the government.
