Patna: A proposed law to restructure Bihar’s higher education system has triggered strong opposition from teachers, students and university employees, who fear it will erode institutional autonomy and weaken the distinct identity of premier institutions such as Patna University. However, higher education director N K Agrawal said the proposal was still under discussion and no final decision had been taken.At the centre of the controversy is a plan to separate undergraduate and postgraduate education. Under the proposed legislation, more than 500 constituent undergraduate colleges would be removed from the jurisdiction of state universities and the governor, who serves as chancellor, and brought under the direct control of the higher education department.Agrawal said the matter remained “in a fluid stage” and several issues had already been discussed at a meeting at Lok Bhavan attended by department officials. “But the final decision will be taken at top level,” he said.Federation of University Teachers Associations of Bihar working president Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha argued that placing colleges under bureaucratic control would undermine the autonomy universities have historically enjoyed in framing academic calendars, curricula and internal policies.“This centralisation runs counter to the spirit of national education frameworks, turning these institutions into heavily politicised, govt-run entities,” Sinha said.Former Patna College principal Nawal Kishore Chaudhary raised concerns over proposed restrictions on the political activities of teachers. According to reports, university teachers could be barred from contesting elections, promoting political ideologies or writing in their support.He questioned who would represent teachers’ constituencies in the state legislature if such provisions were introduced.Another contentious proposal is the merger of the Patna University Act, 1976, with the Bihar State Universities Act, 1976, into a single framework. Teachers and alumni of Patna University have opposed the move, arguing that it would dilute the institution’s residential character, research culture and historical legacy.At a meeting at Patna College on Sunday, student organisations criticised the proposed changes, alleging that they would reduce universities to bodies controlled by the bureaucracy. They demanded that the draft legislation be made public for wider consultation.Bihar State University and College Employees Federation general secretary Rohit Kumar also opposed the proposal to delink colleges from universities and warned of direct action if the plan was implemented.–
