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Functioning of Unitary Universities in India

Document Cited in Related
Published date01 March 2024
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/00195561231204900
AuthorPrahallad Majhi,Ashok Dansana
Date01 March 2024
Functioning of Unitary
Universities in India
Prahallad Majhi1 and Ashok Dansana1
Abstract
Functioning of unitary universities occupies a unique character in the system of
higher education in post-independence India. Unitary universities in India have
exhibited relatively more freedom in their nature of functioning as compared
to affiliating universities. This article brings the facts related to the nature of
functioning of unitary universities in India, where a case of Ravenshaw University,
Cuttack, Odisha, has been brought to the picture for substantiating the matter
under consideration, particularly in the context of its autonomy and account-
ability on three major aspects such as academic, executive and financial. This
study found that Ravenshaw University has evolved as the first higher educational
institution in the state of Odisha to fulfil the needs and aspirations of its people
located in Eastern India. So far as academic autonomy and accountability are
concerned, as a unitary university, it has demonstrated stability with persistent
efforts in the given array of constraints posed there in taking the responsibility
of teaching, research and extension activities and has earned credits among the
people. In the context of administrative and financial autonomy, the university
is restricted and found to be grappling in the matter of staffing and allocating
funds for the creation of teaching-learning support systems, and welfare ser-
vices including providing financial support to needy and meritorious students.
However, irrespective of the positions and nature of works carried out by the
university functionaries and university as a whole, it claims to have been held
accountable to all stakeholders and takes an important place in Eastern India with
restricted freedom and limited support in hand.
Keywords
Academic and administrative autonomy, accountability, higher education
Article
Indian Journal of Public
Administration
70(1) 25–33, 2024
© 2023 IIPA
Article reuse guidelines:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/00195561231204900
journals.sagepub.com/home/ipa
1 School of Education, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha, India
Corresponding author:
Prahallad Majhi, School of Education, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha 753003, India.
E-mail: prahalladmajhi8457@gmail.com

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