6. Write brief notes on:
(a) Central Advisory Board of Physical Education and Research 1950
(b) All India Council of Sports 1954
(c) Sports Authority of India 1984
Answers
Answer:
Dear Shri Arjun Singh Ji,
I was given the responsibility of being the Chairman of the CABE Committee on Autonomy of Higher Education
Institutions and it is a pleasure for me now to submit to you the Report of the Committee.
The CABE has been revived at a time when higher education is facing enormous challenges. In such a
situation we need to revisit our policies and programmes with a view to making them deal effectively with the
emerging realities. Simultaneously, we need to understand that development can best be ensured by freeing
the higher education system of unnecessary controls and regulations and withdrawing avoidable state
interventions. In pursuance of this realization, the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource
Development set up, among others, a Committee on Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions to suggest
measures for enhancing the autonomy and accountability of institutions of higher education. The Committee
adopted a two-pronged strategy for the purpose of soliciting views, comments and observations from a large
body of stakeholders and this included eliciting responses to a structured questionnaire and organization of
four Regional Workshops. The Committee also had an exclusive interaction with the representatives of
AIFUCTO. Besides, the Committee held a series of wide ranging consultations with various other informed
members of the higher education family.
The CABE Committee is of the view that Autonomy of Higher Education Institutions is a pre-requisite for
enabling them to achieve their goals and objectives. An honest exercise of autonomy - academic, administrative
and financial – will lead to making these Institutions as centres of innovation, excellence and development.
With this in view the Universities need to be insulated from internal and external pressures of all kinds, may be
bureaucratic, political and other groups. Towards this end, University Grants Commission, Government of
India and State Governments will have to evolve strategies to realize the intended objective.
Since, autonomy of higher education institution goes hand-in-hand with its accountability, the delegation and
devolution of power and authority concomitant with responsibility should flow not only from the external
environment to the higher education institution but should be given at different levels within the higher education
institution itself. There should be a charter of responsibility and devolution and delegation of authority defined
for different levels within the university system and both should be monitored together.
The present Report is the outcome of the combined efforts of many people. The valuable contributions of the
members of the Committee and others who participated in the discussion have immensely benefited the
development of the Report. I trust the recommendations contained therein will be of interest to the policy
executives, managers, administrators engaged in the development and promotion of higher education in the
country.
I would like to place on record my appreciation of the contributions of Prof. Ved Prakash in discharging
admirably his responsibility as Member Secretary of the Committee and in ensuring that this Report was
submitted in the prescribed time.