GUWAHATI, July 23 � The State Government�s move to upgrade the historic Cotton College into an affiliated State university has raised questions among the scholars of the State, said the Association of Past and Present Office-bearers of Cotton College Union Society (APPOCCUS) in a statement here today.
Quoting former Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University (GU) Prof Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, former Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University Prof Kishori Mohan Pathak and noted economist Dr Jayanta Madhab, the APPOCCUS said in its statement that the Chief Minister�s announcement to upgrade the college into a unitary university had created much enthusiasm. But when the Education Minister tabled the Bill in the State Assembly on the matter, proposing the university as an affiliating one, the conscious section of the people became confused.
The APPOCCUS is of the opinion that the Government, with the above decision to turn Cotton College into an affiliating university, has lost a golden opportunity to develop the historic college into an institution of international standard.
With the above decision, the status of Cotton College has been demoted to an ordinary affiliated college, which will run undergraduate courses only. But, the rights over the entire property of the college have been vested on the university. This may lead to conflicts between the college and the university in the days to come, said the APPOCCUS.
It has also described the arguments put forward by the Education Minister in favour of keeping the Chief Minister as the Chancellor of the university as �unsound�.
The speed at which the Bill was passed also seemed to be quite queer. The Government should have waited for the opinion of the learned people of the State on the issue, the APPOCCUS said.
It has sought the intervention of the Chief Minister in the matter and pleaded for a new legislation in this connection. Or else, the present legislation should be suitably amended, said the APPOCCUS.
Meanwhile, the Cotton College Retired Teachers� Forum has convened a meeting at 4 pm of July 25 at the Sudmersen Hall of Cotton College to discuss the issues concerning the college and the Cotton College State University Act, 2011.
