teachers feel government should issue guidelines and let varsities frame syllabuskolkata subject experts and academic heads across bengal agree on the need for regular updating of syllabi and reforms in teaching but it doesnt happen as often or as well as desired in state universities and affiliated colleges thus widening the gap with universities in other states and hampering student performancethe reason some experts point out is the overdependence on private tuition and the teachers who give tuitions are very often the same ones who are in the syllabus committees the government wants to break this nexus to raise bengal students to a level playing field in national entrance tests and job interviews the debate however is on a different point a section of teachers from universities welcomes the idea of syllabus upgrade but maintains that this should be left to universities the government panel may only recommend a model syllabus and universities should try to follow the guidelines while framing their own syllabi they say universities and colleges that are ahead of the general lot may have their choices the government has to take a flexible stand there was a time when teachers in presidency college used to tell students that they dont teach topics they teach subjects but this does not hold true for most teachers refuse to examine syllabus followed in central universities and those abroad and update it accordingly they are also reluctant to introduce term papers or projects in undergraduate teaching that can root out rote learning said cu vicechancellor sugata marjitju english professor nilanjana gupta has a different take on the issue the state government is following what ugc has done for central universities it has proposed a common minimum model syllabus for them but a centralised syllabus has no room for diversity it tends to bring all the good and not so good under a single frame for instance in ju our emphasis is on european literature and postcolonial literature which may not be the case in other universities one cant improve standards by merely updating the syllabus a student of literature needs various inputs on philosophy sociology and history to appreciate literature i think academic bodies should have the first right to choose elements of the syllabus the teaching procedure and so on we have been updating our syllabus accordingly gupta saidpresidency university vicechancellor anuradha lohia harps on commonality of syllabus universities may have divergence but there should be common template of topics particularly in undergraduate teaching so that students may migrate to other institutes and colleges if they want universities and colleges are bound to have their usps it all depends on how the topics are taught the level of interaction between teachers and students however there is need for accountability among teachers that can only ensure mobility of students whatever the debate a university cant continue with a syllabus last updated in 1980 we take care in updating our syllabus every two years lohia saidhowever the ideal is not possible