M M Jasim :
The administrations of public universities are now under tremendous pressure to increase their own income by the University Grants Commission.
The government wants to get rid of the extra tension to allocate vast budget for the universities, Education Ministry sources said.
But the authorities of the public universities said that it is totally impossible to fulfill the direction of the government to increase the income because the varsities are not like markets.
They are also in fear of students’ movement if they enhance all kinds of university fees.
Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman told The New Nation yesterday that the university is not a market or any business institution. The Dhaka University has limited sources of income. So, it is impossible to increase its income like any other sectors, he said.
He also said that the government should increase its budget for the public universities in the country to ensure quality higher education.
UGC sources, the government had asked the Dhaka University to earn a total of Tk 42.55 crore from its own sectors in 2017-18 academic session. And for the fiscal 2018-19, it has been asked to earn Tk 71.28 crore, which is almost double.
The university has the capability to earn as many as Tk 22.90 crore in the next year from admission, examination, hall, department fees and by selling admission forms. It also could earn around Tk 15 crore from the university affiliated seven colleges.
Director (Finance) of Dhaka University Md Abdul Kuddus Mollah said, the university is not able to fulfill the government’s demand. “Finally, we have to say sorry to the government,” he said.
Director (Finance) of Barishal University Md Ashraf Uddin said, the university has the capability to earn Tk 5 crore, but the UGC set the target of Tk 6 crore. “We have submitted a request letter to the UGC to revise the target again,” he said.
The UGC gave a target to the Islamic University to earn at Tk 12 crore. But it can only earn Tk 9 crore. As a result, the authorities of the university are passing their times with severe tension.
Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Chowdhury said, the pressure of the UGC on the country’s public universities to earn more money is illogical.
“The universities must increase their all kind of fees to fulfill the UGC wish. The poor students will be affected in the process. So, the government can concentrate to another profitable institutions,” he said.
