BHU Administrative Reforms Committee submits its report

The committee makes 64 recommendations to improve the administrative structure, achieve academic excellence, underlines the need for a consultative approach to the functioning of the university, recommends setting up of effective monitoring system, and calls for greater efforts to connect with alumni and enhance community outreach.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain had constituted a three-member administrative reforms committee comprising very senior and seasoned former bureaucrats of the Government of India, to suggest ways for making the complex administrative and functional structure a simple, efficient and practical one. The Committee, chaired by Pawan Agrawal, Former Secretary, of the Government of India, had Parag Prakash, Former Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General, Government of India, and Sh. R. D. Sahai, Former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of India, as a member. 

The committee held detailed and wide-ranging discussions with all the stakeholders of the university, encompassing all the departments, units, centres and other bodies and took their inputs regarding operational challenges and difficulties, suggestions and possible solutions. Committee members visited all the institutes, faculties, and offices in the main campus as well as the South Campus in Barkachha, and conducted a detailed review of the infrastructure, facilities and processes. 

The committee submitted its report to the Vice-Chancellor in committee room number one of the Central Office of the university, followed by a discussion on the roadmap of the implementation of recommendations, which was attended by key functionaries of the university. 

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The committee has made 64 recommendations in order to enhance efficiency, accountability, transparency and objectivity and improve service delivery, coordination, productivity and responsiveness. The report of the committee has stressed the importance of a consultative approach and a robust monitoring system. It has proposed a weekly internal monitoring system complemented by monthly external monitoring to track progress. 

The committee has recommended the creation of three new positions of Dean (Academic Affairs), Dean (Research & Development) and Dean (Technology & Digital Learning) in the course of improving various aspects of academic aspects of the university. The committee noted certain limitations and challenges in terms of space, resources and manpower, and has recommended optimizing the use of office space in a more efficient and effective way. It also called for reviewing the role of activities or units that do not contribute to the core activities of the university. 

The committee also observed multiplicity in the hierarchy which leads to delays in decision making and recommended delayering of the administrative structure. It has also advised the management of data centrally to address delays and discrepancies. One of the key recommendations was on adopting measures for better use of modern management methods and greater use of IT systems and tools, digital learning, digital library and IT security. It suggested that the university should make considerable investments in this regard. 

The committee has advocated greater efforts on capacity building to make manpower more efficient and motivated while setting up training and incentives avenues for up-skilling of clerical staff. It also suggested study visits for academic and administrative staff to learn best practices from other institutions. 

The recommendations note that the research potential of the university is underutilized. It has been suggested that a detailed exercise should be undertaken to review this aspect and promote inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research and activities. It said that the university should take advantage of the diverse expertise and resources available to create innovative solutions to complex problems. 

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