West Bengal: New private universities plan raises alarm over education standards, affordability

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government is set to approve three new private universities in West Bengal triggering significant concern among educators about the future of higher education in the state.

The proposed institutions – Bhawanipore Global University to come up within the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area, Rabindranath Tagore University in Dhaniakhali, and Ramkrishna Paramhansa University in Barrackpore – have ignited a debate among students and teachers about accessibility, quality and students’ affordability. West Bengal has 11 private universities, as per the list maintained by the higher education regulator, University Grants Commission. All of them have come up in the 2010s.

The Bhawanipore Global University will be set up in Tollygunge, on three acres of land. State education minister Bratya Basu is expected to introduce the bill in the upcoming assembly session, marking the first private university within the KMC limits, reported the Times of India.

The Bhawanipore Gujarati Education Society runs the Bhawanipore Education Society College (BESC) which will be upgraded into the new university, according to the TOI report. It is expected to start functioning from the next academic year.

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West Bengal: Public universities under strain

While the West Bengal government views these institutions as expansion of educational infrastructure, academics look at it with profound skepticism. The institutions have raised critical questions about educational standards, affordability and the marginalisation of public universities.

Keshab Bhattarcherjee, professor of electrical engineering at Jadavpur University, said: “I strongly believe that it is the public-funded education system which should be strengthened instead. With the increase of private education, outwardly it will look like there is expansion, but the core and meritorious students will be excluded from higher education,” he said.

Public universities are already grappling with severe staff shortages. “In Jadavpur University, more than 25% teaching positions are vacant,” said Bhattacharjee. “Why is the government prioritising private universities when public institutions are facing challenges? This is a dangerous trend”.

Though popular institutions like Jadavpur University have a strong student base, smaller government colleges face dwindling enrolment and limited resources.

The growth of private universities has been rapid; the first one, Techno India University, came up as recently as 2012. Some are private colleges upgraded into private universities

The table below lists the private universities – not institutions that are deemed-to-be universities – in the order of their establishment.

Private universities in West Bengal

Government Colleges: Infrastructure, cost, corruption

Infrastructure is a major concern. Teachers and students argue that these private universities often fail to provide the necessary infrastructure, especially for technical and science streams that require well-equipped laboratories,” said Partha Pratim Roy, professor of physics, Jadavpur University. He is also the general secretary of Jadavpur University Teachers Association.

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Moushumi Ghosh Das, an M.Ed. student at Netaji Subhash University, said: “Despite NEP 2020 in place, there is no infrastructure to meet its requirements, let alone accommodate new universities. Students in West Bengal are losing interest in higher education because of this.”

The high fees charged by private universities further alienate students from less affluent backgrounds. “The semester fees at these institutions are unaffordable for middle-class families, and private medical colleges are plagued by corruption,” Ghosh Das added.

Roy agreed, adding, “The government needs to step in. Otherwise, we are getting totally lost.”

No teachers, no recruitment

Faculty recruitment represents another critical point of contention. Sanjib Kar, a chemistry professor at Calcutta University, criticised the practice of hiring retired teachers, questioning their ability to connect with and teach new generations effectively.

“Teachers as old as 70 years are being recruited. They might have been good at one point, but can they teach the new generation?” he asked.

“There’s no recruitment of teaching or non-teaching staff following proper academic criteria. As a result, the quality is suffering,” he further added.

Traditional government colleges are experiencing alarming enrollment drops, particularly in core science subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics. “The physics department at Calcutta University has struggled to fill even 30% of its seats, while humanities programs like Sanskrit have seen dramatic reductions in student intake – last year it was 170, and this year just 40,” said Kar.

He warned that within a decade, West Bengal might face a severe shortage of qualified teachers in these disciplines, forcing the state to recruit teachers from neighbouring countries (he referred to Bangladesh).

Kar also pointed out broader issues in the education system as well. “Primary school education has totally gone for a toss. Many students don’t know simple maths like addition or subtraction.”

West Bengal Universities: Call for reform

Bhattarcherjee's plea resonates across academic circles: "Why is the government giving importance to private universities? Strengthening public education is the need of the hour."

As these three new private universities prepare to enter the educational landscape, they symbolise a critical juncture. The government's approach will determine whether this represents genuine educational expansion or a potential erosion of academic standards, feel academics.

With public institutions underfunded and understaffed, the stakes could not be higher.