AURANGABAD: Governor and ex-officio Chancellor of state universities Bhagat Singh Koshyari has appealed to the varsities to donate 10% of their disaster management fund for the official battle against Covid-19. This call, however, has stoked a debate on the ideal ways to utilise the money in question.
The fund concerned was founded in 2001. The Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) has been charging Rs 10 from every student to raise the desired corpus. On Sunday, a senior university official said that Bamu has around Rs 3 crore in the disaster management fund. “None other than the Chancellor has asked for the release of the money from the disaster management fund, and we have to respond to the call. In 2013, the government had framed guidelines for spending the fund, especially money accrued towards interest. The money will be released and authorities concerned have been asked to do the needful,” he said.
Sanjay Nimbalkar, a member of Bamu’s management council, said the disaster management fund had largely remained non-utilised even during past natural crises. “The Covid-19 outbreak has created unprecedented financial crisis. The state universities can contribute their share by shelling out money from the fund,” he said.
The appeal has led to a debate on whether the fund can be used for purposes other than student-centric ones.
Kishor Shitole, another management council member, said the state universities can explore ways of utilising the funds on their own for the benefit of students, instead of donating to any official fund operating at the state level. “Every university, including Bamu, can chart out a plan to spend the disaster fund on different relief measures. It will be inappropriate to donate the money meant for students to a general cause. Also, the state universities are bound to face their own set of financial challenges after Covid-19 and the funds can be utilised for that,” he said.
The fund concerned was founded in 2001. The Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) has been charging Rs 10 from every student to raise the desired corpus. On Sunday, a senior university official said that Bamu has around Rs 3 crore in the disaster management fund. “None other than the Chancellor has asked for the release of the money from the disaster management fund, and we have to respond to the call. In 2013, the government had framed guidelines for spending the fund, especially money accrued towards interest. The money will be released and authorities concerned have been asked to do the needful,” he said.
Sanjay Nimbalkar, a member of Bamu’s management council, said the disaster management fund had largely remained non-utilised even during past natural crises. “The Covid-19 outbreak has created unprecedented financial crisis. The state universities can contribute their share by shelling out money from the fund,” he said.
The appeal has led to a debate on whether the fund can be used for purposes other than student-centric ones.
Kishor Shitole, another management council member, said the state universities can explore ways of utilising the funds on their own for the benefit of students, instead of donating to any official fund operating at the state level. “Every university, including Bamu, can chart out a plan to spend the disaster fund on different relief measures. It will be inappropriate to donate the money meant for students to a general cause. Also, the state universities are bound to face their own set of financial challenges after Covid-19 and the funds can be utilised for that,” he said.
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