UGC Fixes Budget for Dhaka University, for the Academic year 2013

University Grants Commission (UGC) has suggested the Dhaka University (DU) authorities prepare its upcoming budget within Tk 2.76 billion instead of its proposed amount of Tk 3.31 billion, DU sources said.

Besides, the regulatory body also recommended the university authorities to increase its internal incomes to meet the growing schooling expenditures, they added.

"We'd submitted a proposal to the university's watchdog amounting to Tk 3.31 billion for the fiscal year (FY), 2013-2014," said Md Ashraf Uddin, director of accounts of the university.

"Regrettably, the regulatory body asked to cut off Tk 0.55 billion from the university's proposed budgetary amount, which is frustrating for the country's leading university", he added.

He informed the FE that UGC has asked the DU authorities to prepare its FY-14 budget amounting Tk 2.76 billion including its ongoing deficit TK 0.36 billion.

The UGC has agreed to provide only Tk 2.43 billion while the remaining amount of Tk 0.33 billion was asked to be collected from its internal earnings.

He informed the FE that like the previous years, the university's regulator recommended DU authorities prepare its upcoming fiscal plan keeping major portion--Tk 1.07 billion for salaries of staff including teachers and officials.

About the University

The University started its activities with 3 Faculties,12 Departments, 60 teachers, 877 students and 3 dormitories (Halls of Residence) for the students. At present the University consists of 13 Faculties, 71 Departments, 10 Institutes, 17 dormitories, 3 hostels and more than 38 Research Centres. The number of students and teachers has risen to about 33,112 and 1,805 respectively.

The main purpose of the University was to create new areas of knowledge and disseminate this knowledge to the society through its students. Since its inception the University has a distinct character of having distinguished scholars as faculties who have enriched the global pool of knowledge by making notable contributions in the fields of teaching and research.

The high standard of education and research for the University was set by its first Vice-Chancellor, Sir P.J. Hartog when in the 2nd Convocation address he said, "A man may be an excellent teacher of elementary subjects without the power to add to knowledge. But in advanced work I maintain that no one can really teach well unless he has the combination of imagination with critical power which leads to the original production (of knowledge), and for that if for no other reason, a university to be a true university must see that its teachers are men who are also capable of advancing knowledge."