Chandigarh, Monday, August 3, 1998
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Chandigarh, Monday, August 3, 1998 |
Steps to boost research activity From Jupinderjit Singh A committee of senior officials was constituted to simplify certain stringent rules regarding the research scholars. It reached a consensus on erasing a number of anomalies. First person It’s goodbye to cramming By S.S. Randhawa I was thrilled to read in the newspapers that the Punjab Government is introducing English from Class-I. I thought my next visit to the village would be exciting. I could see the old folk bewildered in the new environment, young parents excited and tiny-tots bubbling in laced frocks and buttoned-up jeans. I could expect some body greeting from some one: Hi, old man! Long time no see”. But nothing of the sort happened. |
College cries for more
space Campus
scene |
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Steps to boost research activity A married woman, Sucheta (not her real name) determined to do Ph. D from Punjabi University, Patiala, was shocked to hear the demand for graft by the head of the department. Her refusal only brought her harassment. Unable to cope with the inhuman treatment she opted out. She was, however, more fortunate than Sarla (not her real name), another research scholar, who had to leave research mid-way due to her guide’s overtures. The plight of male research scholars is no better. Instead of consulting books in the library or performing tests in the laboratory, these scholars are found engrossed with the household chores of their guides or supervisors. One such researcher had to suffer insults at the hands of department head as the latter had sour relations with the scholar’s guide. Deciding that enough was enough, he gave up research after having toiled for more than two years. Cases like these have finally made Punjabi University sit up and take remedial measures. A committee of senior officials was constituted to simplify certain stringent rules regarding the research scholars. It reached a consensus on erasing a number of anomalies. Unfortunately no data of the present number of research scholars in the university is available, (no record is maintained by the university) yet a number of officials concerned including heads of departments, admit that their number is dwindling. While the unavailability of lucrative jobs after completing Ph.D is termed as the major reason for the youths shying away from research, another deterrent is the unhealthy work conditions. Delaying tactics of guides and heads of departments and various acts of harassments. Besides, the consistent increase in fee that the university charges from these research scholars is another damper. Several scholars, speaking on the condition of anonymity, reveal that they are a harassed lot. A number of stringent rules laid down by Punjabi University for the registration of research scholars, heavy fines if the six-monthly or annual report is delayed and immense file work has forced a number of talented scholars to leave research mid-way. Dr B.S Bhatia, Dean, Academic Affairs, and Dr L.S. Sidhu, head department of Human Biology, members of the committee formed by the university to propose new rules for the scholars, say they have had held several meetings and a consensus has emerged that various formalities required for a research degree from the choice of the guide or supervisor and approval from the head of the department to the university administrative procedures were acting as a hindrance in the way of aspiring research scholars. The rules originally laid to improve the quality of research had outlived their utility. These were now acting as deterrents rather than giving a boost to research activity. The main grievance of the research scholars is regarding rule of converting research work into a Ph.D. degree, says Dr Bhatia when M. Phil was abolished five years ago, a rule was laid that the interested candidate for research should be first enrolled only for research. It was not specified whether this was M. Phil or a Ph. D. degree. After one year the candidate’s work is assessed. On the basis of the quantum and quality of work evaluated by a committee of experts, the candidate is registered for a Ph. D degree for further research. If the work is not find satisfactory, the candidate is told to go for M.Phil. This procedure was aimed at weeding out non-serious students However, instead of meeting the desired objective in certain cases it is only leading to an inordinate delay in the registration of the candidate. While the supposed period for conversion of the degree is one year, many research scholars have been waiting for more than three years. The reasons vary from department politics to differences among teachers to procedural wrangles. Meetings to assess research work are not held on time. Either the guide or the head of the department or a senior university official is not available. According to Dr Bhatia, the committee is of the view that the university should revert to the previous practice and register a candidate directly for Ph. D or M.Phil. The university will fix the period for departmental formalities, say a month. The period for submission of research work will also be finalised. The research scholars, who have pinned hopes on the committee, say the committee should not solely concentrate on the rules that delay research work. Instead of fixing time for the research scholar to submit his thesis, the university should form a rule making the guide responsible for completing the research work in the allotted period. These scholars argue that whereas the university charges exorbitant fee and fines in case of delay on the part of the scholar, the guide and the head of departments go scot-free. Even the fee structure is much higher than the stipend given to the scholars. Girls scholars are particularly offended over rules regarding the mandatory stay of these girls along with undergraduate or postgraduate course students. They contend that research
work demands a great deal of time in the library and a
conducive atmosphere which is not available in a
girl’s hostel resides adhering to the opening and
closing times of the hostel, they had to share rooms with
two or more girls. Earlier, the research scholars were
provided independent flats, but the university has merged
these flats with girl’s hostels. |
First person I was thrilled to read in the newspapers that the Punjab Government is introducing English from Class-I. I thought my next visit to the village would be exciting. I could see the old folk bewildered in the new environment, young parents excited and tiny-tots bubbling in laced frocks and buttoned-up jeans. I could expect some body greeting from some one: Hi, old man! Long time no see”. But nothing of the sort happened. The new policy of open book examination, that is in the offing, has sent a wave of excitement among the younger generation. In fact, there is nothing wrong in it. The system is in vogue in some of the western universities. It shall save the adolescents from a lot of unnecessary hassles and provide them more time for other things. It may hit the teachers financially. They may oppose it. But the interest of the students is paramount. I once expelled eight students from the college because of gross indiscipline on the campus. On scrutiny of their files, I came to know that six of them were from one school in Amritsar district. On further probing, I found that none studied in the school. They were from Gurdaspur, Batala, Amritsar and Jalandhar. As the school provided “better facilities for marks”, they took parallel admission there. They did come out with flying colours. It is another thing that the colours faded away when faced with the university examination. With the new system things shall be legally and officially available to them at their doorsteps. There are about 100-odd known ways of copying. With advancement of information technology, the number increases with every session. With the new system, the number shall be reduced to a solitary figure of one. It shall be no mean achievement in curbing malpractices in examination. Of late, I noticed my granddaughter wasting a lot of time seeing TV. I one day inquired about this and she replied”. Study, study, study. Are there not better things than study. Everything is in the books. Why should we cram. The government is going to allow open book examination. The things are going to be fairly OK”. In order to set her fundamentals straight, I said: My dear, open book examination is not that easy. One has to be thorough with the subject. The examiner shall put the question in such a way that students who have really studied shall be able to answer”. “Grandpa, for your information, the teachers are having the same guides that we have. They are not going to the Mars to frame us the questions. We know them well and they know us better. There are university norms and syllabus patterns they can’t ignore. We students know how to get the things done. You need not to worry”, said she. I think she was better informed. As she was leaving for the
TV room, she said, :Grandpa, should I tell you one more
thing? This open book examination is not going to last
very long. Very soon we shall have Internet facilities
provided in the examination halls to assist us. Our
Education Minister is well aware of our problems. It is
the age of CDs”. |
College cries for more space GOVERNMENT Bikram College of Commerce, the oldest commerce college in the region, is being forced to reduce the number of seats for plus one and plus two classes by half due to lack of infrastructural facilities. The college, the only exclusive college of commerce in the region after Shriram College of Commerce, New Delhi, remains without a building of its own 53 years after it was founded in 1945 at Faridkot. Shifted to Patiala in 1955, the college has been functioning from one building or the other. It is new housed in a wing of the State College of Education. There is a severe shortage of rooms with the college having 12 rooms for classes of plus one, plus two, B.Com (Part I, II and III) and M.Com. (Part I and II). Earlier when the principal was given the dual charge of the State College of Education, he was given three rooms for the commerce college, but these were taken back after a year. Due to paucity of accommodation, this year the college has admitted 80 students in plus one and two classes against the sanctioned strength of 160 in both classes. Many students have been left disappointed. Last year the college was admitting 120 students in B.Com. (Part I, II and III) against the sanctioned strength of 180. However it admitted 180 students on university instructions. There is no proper entrance to the college. The college has one staffroom in which its 27 members cannot even sit together. Besides, there is no commonroom for girl students nor, a cycle stand. The college is headed by a postgraduate in history. Teachers say it is for the first time that the college principal is neither a commerce or economics postgraduate. College Principal Prof Mukhtiar Singh, says his is an administrative post and that he does not need to be a student of commerce or economics. However, Punjabi University Dean (College) Dr Balkar Singh says though the university would not have allowed a postgraduate in a different discipline to head a single-stream privately managed college, it did not have much say in case of government colleges. College Principal Mukhtiar
Singh says he has taken up the issue of more rooms for
the college with Higher Education Minister Manjit Singh
Calcutta. |
Campus scene AMRITSAR: Admission to almost all classes and courses in Guru Nanak Dev University has been completed. The university authorities claim to be the first in the region to have declared the results of almost all examinations held in April and May. Teaching in almost all departments has begun. Vice-Chancellor Harbhajan Singh Soch, said teaching started in certain departments on July 7. Admission in affiliated colleges had also been completed. A large number of foreign students had got admission in various courses at the university campus. All results would be declared by mid-August. * * * * The university has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional Centre of the university of Santiago-de-Compostella at Luge city in Spain for exchange of teachers and students. The Vice-Chancellor, during his recent visit to Spain, met the authorities of about 500-year-old university. The areas of collaborations, he said, would be chemistry and pharmacy. * * * * The university has granted affiliation to the College of Nursing at Dhaha Kaleran (Nawanshahr) with effect from the new academic session. The syllabi and training course have been approved by the university and the British Columbia University in Canada. Dr Soch will attend a conference of Vice-Chancellors of Commonwealth countries scheduled to be held in Ottawa, Canada, from August 16 to 21. He will visit British Columbia University. A joint accreditation to the nursing course would be accorded by both universities. After completion of training in this college of nursing, the nurses will have a fair chance in getting jobs in Canada. * * * * The construction of the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bhavan will be undertaken shortly. Mr I.K. Gujral had laid the foundation stone of this project during his visit to this holy city in October. The UGC has released a handsome grant for the project. The bhavan would house the Department of Managements and Computers. * * * * For the beautification of the university campus, 10,000 saplings of eucalyptus are being planted during the current monsoon season. A sub-committee has been constituted to suggest plantation of saplings of other trees. * * * * The university has earned a name in the field of sports. It will be awarded the prestigious Maulana Azad Trophy for Sports by the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, on August 28 at New Delhi. To meet the growing demand of students of Punjab in the field of physiotherapy, the university has introduced a course of four and a half years in bachelors in physiotherapy from the current academic session. The course is open to students after ten plus two (medical group). The university is already running a course of masters in sports physiotherapy, the first of its kind in India. * * * * The university at its meeting held recently decided to provide the status of teaching department to the Department of Laws and Department of Journalism functioning at its regional campus in Jalandhar on a par with the teaching departments of the university campus. * * * * Prof H.S. Virk, seniormost scientist of the university, has been awarded the rare honour of being president of the Nuclear Track Society of India for a term of three year (1998-2000). This is the first time that a university professor has occupied this prestigious post which has always been held by nuclear scientists of the Atomic Energy of India. In
recognition of the research work of Prof Virk in nuclear
and radiation physics, the UGC has nominated him member
of the governing council of the Nuclear Science Centre,
New Delhi, an inter-university centre of research under
the UGC. |
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Matter of shame Making doctors
better “Lateral
brain drain” |
Youth & career
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