1 day ago
JNTUH, Higher Education Department Clash Over University Decisions
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, changed some senior administrative roles.
The university says its own council can approve those changes.
It invited government representatives to a council meeting, but two nominees reportedly asked to postpone it because the State Assembly was meeting.
The university went ahead with the meeting and later sent its decisions to the Higher Education Department.
Department officials reportedly said they should have approved the changes beforehand.
The university says the council has already ratified the decisions.
The disagreement is about how much control the department should have over a university’s internal administration.
University leaders are considering asking the state Governor and Chancellor to address the dispute.
JNTUH changed its registrar and rector positions, saying the decisions concerned internal administration.
The university says its Executive Council can approve the changes, with later ratification following precedent.
Two government nominees reportedly sought to postpone a council meeting because of the State Assembly session.
JNTUH proceeded with the meeting and sent the council’s ratified decisions to the Higher Education Department.
The department reportedly argued that prior approval was required; university authorities are urging the Vice-Chancellor to raise the matter with the Governor and Chancellor.
- Who
- Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, and the Telangana State Higher Education Department.
- What
- A dispute over whether the university needed the department’s prior approval to change its registrar and rector positions.
- Where
- Hyderabad, Telangana.
- When
- The article does not give a specific date; the council meeting occurred during a State Assembly session.
- Why
- The department reportedly questioned the changes and said prior approval was required, while the university said the decisions were internal and could be ratified by its Executive Council.
University leadership
Higher Education Department
Approval for internal appointments
University leadership
The university says changing the registrar and rector is an internal administrative matter that its Executive Council can approve and ratify.
Higher Education Department
Department officials reportedly contend that the changes required the department’s prior approval.
Proceeding with the council meeting
University leadership
JNTUH went ahead because the meeting had been scheduled and decisions needed consideration and ratification.
Higher Education Department
Two government nominees reportedly wanted the meeting postponed because they were unavailable during the State Assembly session; department officials were reportedly angered that it proceeded without them.
Key facts
- University
- Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH)
- Department
- Telangana State Higher Education Department (TGHED)
- Disputed roles
- Registrar and rector
- Council meeting
- The university said it proceeded with a meeting attended by 14 members.
- Council size
- The university’s Executive Council has 16 members.
- Government nominees
- Two department nominees reportedly asked for the meeting to be postponed.
- Next step proposed
- JNTUH authorities are reportedly pressing the Vice-Chancellor to take the matter to the state Governor and Chancellor.
Quotes
Vice-Chancellor of a state university
A vice-chancellor describing interactions with Telangana State Higher Education Department officials.
“Even during the meetings, they (TGHED) officials speak, but most of the time the university leadership should listen to them. On several occasions, the VCs felt they were made to sit like schoolboys while the babus were sharing their gyan on multiple academic subject areas.”
thehansindia.com
“All that it has to take is approval from the University’s Executive Council. For this, the ratification process is what has been followed as a precedent.”
thehansindia.com











