THE Sindh Universities Laws (Amendment) Act 2013, recently passed by the provincial assembly and signed by the acting governor, has attracted a fair bit of criticism. Teachers have complained that the law was passed in haste and that the academic community was not consulted. Earlier, there were differences between Karachi-based teachers, who totally rejected the law, and their peers in other parts of Sindh, who criticised only certain clauses, but these seem to have been resolved for the moment. The fact that the chancellor of public-sector varsities the Sindh governor will have to appoint vice-chancellors as per the recommendation of the chief minister has been welcomed. But many academics disagree with the law`s provision that gives the chief minister the power to appoint other key posts (registrar, bursar etc). Teachers have also questioned provisions that allow the government to set the admission policy of Karachi varsities, while other universities in Sindh are allowed to have their own admission criteria.

The fear is that giving the provincial government the power to appoint important academic and admin-istrative positions (other than the vice-chancellor) will lead to increased politicisation and interference by the bureaucracy in the varsities` affairs. Already there is much political interference in the way public universities are run. What will ensure that under the new law, top posts are not filled by political favourites? Autonomy is essential for Sindh`s varsities to develop into quality seats of learning. While the state should have a role in monitoring public institutions, micromanagement, especially in academic affairs, will only speed up the decline in educational standards. Giving the chief minister powers of oversight may well be in line with the spirit of devolution, but it must be ensured that political meddling in academic and administrative matters does not increase. Teachers have given the Sindh government time to consider their demands and review the law. The provincial administration must consult the academic community and address their concerns about autonomy and make amendments where needed to safeguard the academic freedom of Sindh`s varsities.