Assembly passes bills to ensure competent VCs

Chandigarh, Sep 19 (UNI) The Haryana assembly passed ten bills on the concluding day of the its three-day session here today.

Four of these bills aimed at ensuring appointment of Vice-Chancellors of four state universities as per the recommended qualifications by the University Grants Commission (UGC) Committee.

These bills amended Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya Khanpur Kalan Act, 2006, Maharishi Dayanand University Act, 1975, Kurukshetra University Act, 1986 and Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa Act, 2003.

As per the bills, the Vice chancellor must be a distinguished educationist, have commitment to the values for which the university stands and be appointed solely on academic considerations and abilities to provide leadership to the university by his academic worth, administrative competence and moral stature.

The bill further stated that the Vice-Chancellor would hold office for a period of three years, which could be renewed for not more than one term.

Haryana Education Minister Mange Ram Gupta moved all the four Education Bills and assured that improvement would be done in the standard of education in the State.

He said Haryana was the only state in the country where computer education had been introduced from class I in government schools and all villages had been connected through EDUSAT.

The assembly also passed the Haryana Appropriation (No 4) Bill, 2007, Haryana Tax on Luxuries Bill, 2007, Punjab Excise Haryana Second Amendment Bill, 2007, Haryana Appropriation (No 3) Bill, 2007, Punjab Passengers and Goods Taxation Haryana Amendment Bill, 2007 and Haryana Value Added Tax Amendment Bill, 2007. All these bills were moved by Haryana Finance Minister Birender Singh.

UNI