Shukla Mahanty

Jamshedpur, March 16: Three principals of Jharkhand colleges will have a say in the functioning of colleges in the state and in neighbouring Bengal.

In a letter issued last week by the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, three state principals were selected to be a part of the prestigious seven-member experts’ committee that would attend meetings on UGC’s Eleventh Five Year Plan.

The three stalwarts to participate in the decision-making process include Shukla Mahanty, the principal of the Jamshedpur Women’s College, Father Nicholas Tete of St Xavier’s College, Ranchi, and Sister Priscilla, the principal of Nirmala College, Ranchi.

The committee, also known as the UGC Experts’ Committee, would hold meetings where grants would be recommended to colleges as a part of UGC’s Eleventh Five Year Plan. The meetings would be held at the regional office in Calcutta from March 18 to 20.

The committee will be led by S. Ramachandra Reddy, the former director of National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore. Parbati Bose, the under secretary of the UGC, will also be a part of the meeting.

The first task of the committee would be to decide on the development grants for Bengal colleges and later the focus would be on Jharkhand.

There are more than 300 colleges that the committee would look at before deciding upon those that would receive the development funds.

The committee would also discuss the plans and policies of the plan and would be responsible in providing precise grants to colleges depending upon the requirement.