India, April 30 -- Faculty of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in Matunga are concerned over reports suggesting that the institute may give up its 'deemed-to-be-university' status in order to access government funding. In a letter to the vice-chancellor, chancellor and senior stakeholders, they said they are opposed to a state-controlled or hybrid model, saying it could harm the institute's reputation.

The faculty said ICT's success has been built on academic autonomy, transparent governance and merit-based decision-making. They fear a shift to a state-aligned structure would weaken this independence, especially in areas such as faculty recruitment, administration and academic policies. According to them, these are the core str...