Chapter II THE UNIVERSITY

(1) There shall be established a University by the name of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University'.

(2) The headquarters of the University shall be at Ahmedabad, and the University may establish, maintain or recognise institutes, schools, regional centres and study centres at such other places in the State as it may deem fit.

(3) The first Vice-Chancellor, the first members of the Board of Management, the Academic Planning Board and Finance Committee and all persons who may hereafter become such officers or members, so long as they continue to hold such office or membership, are hereby constituted and declared to be a body corporate by the name of 'the Dr. Balasaheb Ambedkar Open University'; and the University shall have perpetual succession and a common seal and shall sue and be sued by the said name.

The objects of the University shall be to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge by a diversity of means including the use of any communication technology, to provide opportunities for higher education to a larger segment of the population and to promote the educational well being of the community generally, to encourage the Open University and distance education system in the education pattern of the State.

The University shall have the following powers, namely :-

(i) to provide for instruction in such branches of knowledge, technology, vocations and professions as the University may determine from time to time and to make provisions for research, advancement and extension ;

(ii) to plan and prescribe courses of study of degrees, diplomas, certificates or for any other purpose ;

(iii) to hold examination or test and confer degrees, and diplomas on, and grant certificates or other academic distinctions or recognitions to persons who have pursued approved course of study in the University or conducted research in the manner laid down by the Statutes and Ordinances ;

(iv) to confer honorary degrees or other academic distinctions in the manner laid down by the Statutes ;

(v) to withdraw or cancel any degree, diploma or certificate conferred or granted by the University in the manner prescribed by Statutes ;

(vi) to determine the manner in which distance education system in relation to the academic programmes of the University may be organised ;

(vii) to institute professorships, readerships, lecturerships and other academic posts necessary for imparting instruction or for preparing educational material or for conducting other academic activities including guidance, designing and delivery of course and evaluation of the work done by the students and to prescribe their qualifications ;

(viii) to appoint, engage or recognise persons as teachers ;

(ix) to lay down the course of instruction for the various examinations ;

(x) to co-operate with, and seek the co-operation of other Universities and institutions of higher learning professional bodies and organisations for such purpose as the University, may determine ;

(xi) to hold and manage trusts and endowments and institute and award fellowships, scholarships, medals, prizes and such other awards for recognition of merit ;

(xii) to establish, maintain or recognise such regional centres as may be determined by the University from time to time ;

(xiii) to establish, maintain or recognise study centres in the manner laid down by the Statutes ;

(xiv) to inspect regional centres, study centres and recognised institutions and to take measures to ensure that proper standards of instruction, teaching and training are maintained in them and that adequate library and laboratory provisions are made therein ;

(xv) to provide for the preparation of instructional materials including films, cassettes, tapes, video cassettes and other software ;

(xvi) to organise and conduct refresher courses, workshops, seminars and other programmes for teachers, lesson writers, evaluators and other academic staff;

(xvii) to organise common laboratories, libraries, museums and other equipment for teaching and research ;

(xviii) to recognise examinations or periods of study (whether in full or part) at, other Universities, institutions or other places of higher learning as equivalent to examinations or periods of study in the University, and to withdarw such recognition at any time ;

(xix) to make provision for research and development in educational technology and matters related thereto 5

(xx) to create administrative, ministerial and other posts as the University may deem necessary from time to time and to make appointments thereto;

(xxi) to receive benefications, donations and gifts for educational and other social or national causes and maintain proper accounts thereof ;

(xxii) to acquire, hold and manage property both movable and immovable, to lease, sell or otherwise, transfer or dispose of any property movable or immovable which may vest in, or be acquired by it, for the purposes of the University and to contract and do all other acts and things necessary for the purposes of this Act :

Provided that no such lease, sale or transfer of immovable property shall be made without the prior consent of the State Government:

Provided further that where the State Government is satisfied that any such property may, in the interest of the University, be given on lease, sold or other- wise transferred or disposed of, the State Government shall issue necessary directions to the University and the University shall comply with such directions forthwith;

(xxiii) to borrow, with the approval of the State Government, whether on the security of the property of the University or otherwise, money for the purposes of the University ;

(xxiv) to enter into, carry out, vary or Cancel contracts ;

(xxv) to fix, demand and receive such fees and other charges, as may be prescribed by the Ordinances ;

(xxvi) to provide, control and maintain discipline among the students of the University ;

(xxvii) to lay down and regulate the salary scales, allowances and other conditions of service of the employees and the members of the teaching, other academic and non-teaching staff of the University and their code of conduct;

(xxviii) to recognise any institution of higher learning or studies for such purposes as the University may determine and to withdraw such recognitions;

(xxix) to engage, either on contract or otherwise, visiting professors, emeritus professors, consultants, fellows, scholars, artists, course Writers, arid such other persons who may contribute to the advancement of the objects of the University;

(xxx) to conduct, co-ordinate, superwise, regulate and control post-graduate teaching and research work in the University ;

(xxxi) to recognise persons working in other Universities, institutions or organitions as teachers of the University on such terms and conditions as may be laid down by the Ordinances ;

(xxxii) to determine standards and to specify conditions for the admission of students to course of study of the University which may include examinations, evaluation and any other method of testing ;

(xxxiii) to take disciplinary action against the students of the University and to impose such punishments upon them as may be deemed fit for breach of discipline or misconduct, within or outside the University including the use of unfair means at an examination or in relation thereto by themselves or by any other persons or abetment thereof ;

(xxxiv) to make arrangements for the promotion of the general health and welfare of the students and the employees;

(xxxv) to do all such other acts as may be necessary or incidental to the exercise of all or any of the powers of the University and conductive to the promotion of the object of the University.

The University shall, in exercise of its powers, have jurisdiction over the whole of the State of Gujarat.

(1) The University shall be open to persons, of either sex and of whatever race, creed, caste or class and it shall not be lawful for the University to adopt or impose on any person any test whatsoever relating to sex, race, creed, caste, class or religious belief or profession or political or other opinion in order to entitle him to be appointed as a teacher of the University or to hold any other office or post therein or admitted as a student in University or to graduate thereat or to qualify for any degree, diploma or other academic distinction or to enjoy or exercise any privilege of the University or any benefication thereof.

(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to prevent the University from making any special provision for the appointment or admission of women or of per- sons belonging to the Weaker sections of the society, and in particular, of person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, in accordance with the directives, if any, given from time to time by the State Government.