Ranchi, Dec. 24: Ranchi University’s (RU) initiative to separate the management of various wings of two renowned colleges in the state capital has evoked a mixed response.

A meeting of Ranchi University (RU) syndicate on December 19 had decided to send a proposal to the state government to formally separate the management of the various units of Ranchi Women’s College and Marwari College. This would mean that two principals would head each of the institutions in future.

At present, Marwari College has boys’ and women’s sections while Ranchi Women’s College (RWC) has a science and arts section. The different sections of both the institutes are situated far apart but are managed by the same principal, Jawed Ahmed.

Ahmed, who doubles up as RU’s syndicate member, said he is happy with the idea of the split. “We are catering to over 20,000 students in the boys’ and women’s section. About 9,500 students are enrolled in the boy’s section while about 5,000 study in the women’s section. Over 4,500 students are enrolled in the Ignou centre in our college while another 1,500 are studying in as many as 18 types of vocational courses,” said Ahmed.

Shyam Babu, the president-elect of Ranchi University Students’ Union, also welcomed RU’s move to separate the management of the colleges. “It would help in better administration in the wake of an increasing number of students seeking admission in different campuses,” he said.

RWC principal Manju Sinha refused to comment on whether it would be wise to treat arts and science blocks in RWC as two new colleges headed by two principals. She said, however, that there is an urgent need of one more college exclusively for women.

While some academicians are of the view that students would be benefited from the move through better management, a senior teacher of one of the post-graduate departments of RU said varsity authorities should first decide on the exact modalities of separating the two wings of both the colleges.

“Teaching and non-teaching staff and students should also be taken into consideration before taking any decision,” he said.

RU vice-chancellor A.A. Khan said the decision to separate the management of different wings of both the colleges was taken a few years ago, but no action has been taken yet.

“We will send a proposal to differentiate between the management of two wings of both the colleges soon. This would mean a single wing would function as a new college with a new principal if the proposal is passed,” said Khan.

Sources said the idea to separate the management of two wings of both the colleges was incepted during the tenure of S.S. Kushwaha as vice-chancellor a few years ago. But a section of employees of Ranchi Women’s College, who were opposed to the idea, prevented it from materialising.