THERE was some protest, though not loud, on the increase in fees by the University of Balochistan. The vice-chancellor, Justice M. A. Rashid, had announced the increase at a news conference here. It will be effective from the next academic session of the university. The rise is 300 to 400 per cent.

The reason given was that higher education, coupled with quality education, must be ‘selective,’ ending the previous practice that every graduate got the right to get admission to the University of Balochistan.

“Higher education is not a privileged claimed by any student,” the VC said. His contention was strongly supported by some senior journalists on the plea that only research scholars and academicians should be allowed to get higher or specialized education and casual students be discouraged from entering into the university.

In the past, every student used to get government scholarship once admitted to any educational institution, from high school to college and the university. The main expenditure on education was on government stipend to every student till it was discontinued during the last decade. However, the deserving students are provided stipend by different organizations, including the government of Balochistan. But it is confined to outstanding students or position-holders in the examinations.

At the news conference, the vice-chancellor pledged to introduce some discipline, resume the academic sessions in time and hold annual examinations on schedule saving, thereby, the precious time and energy of both the teachers and the taught. He laid greater emphasis on restoring sanctity of the campus, discouraging professional student leaders playing any role in disturbing the academic peace at will or at the behest of outsiders, politicians or administrators.

The academic council has fixed 160 working days with a commitment from the university authorities, mainly the teachers and the respective heads of the departments, to complete the course within the stipulated period so that examinations are held on schedule. For this, the vice-chancellor is seeking cooperation from all sections of society, mainly from the press.

There was trouble on the campus and in some other colleges following appointment of a retired army officer as pro-vice- chancellor looking after the administration. Student organizations and political parties protested against this appointment. Even the chancellor, the governor of Balochistan, was criticized for sending a retired army officer to the highest seat of learning in the province. Although the retired army officer resigned and left the post for personal reasons, there was some hue and cry over this again when the VC was holding his news conference. “ When we all accept an army officer as the president and head of state, why should anyone object to a retired army officer working as pro-vice-chancellor,” Justice M. A. Rashid, a highly respected retired judge of the Balochistan High Court, said angrily. This retort brought some calm allowing the newsmen to discuss the other important problems of academic nature.

Pollution of academic atmosphere remained a common feature in Balochistan. Both the politicians and bureaucrats disturbed the academic peace at will in order to use students in achieving their designs. Some “very obedient” students who served the bureaucrats were rewarded handsomely to this date, promoting them as leader of political parties, members of the assemblies and holding of public offices for services rendered seen and unseen. Some others were given government jobs and placed in strategic position.

The main reason was that the University of Balochistan or some other colleges were subservient to the dictates of administrators who ruled supreme and not to the vice chancellors or college principals. They were so powerful that they forced the appointments of incompetent people as lecturers after assisting them to secure positions which they never deserved.

The University of Balochistan is facing the big task of purging the campus of unqualified lecturers and teachers or those who have failed to improve their academic experience despite warnings. It was through such elements that the administrators ruled the student leaders and organizations, ordering closure of the campus, instigating the students to agitate on trivial issues.

It pertains to the actual autonomy of the university. The government is under moral and political obligation to stop its functionaries from disturbing the academic peace for any reason. The government and its functionaries should not achieve its political objectives by using the students or by polluting the academic atmosphere on the campus.

Once there is no government interference, no student will get any undue support, protection or encouragement and no one will dare to disturb the peace. Political mobilization needs a lot of resources which only a government possesses, according to an observer of the Balochistan scene. Political parties have no, or very limited, resources to back their student wings.

“If the message is loud and clear that one will be punished or sent behind the bars if one violates the university laws, no one will dare disturb the public peace or pollute the academic atmosphere,” he remarks.