Letter
Campus violence
THE recent incident of violence at Panjab University in which Sydics were involved has raised many eyebrows in the academic circles.

Youth & career

Din marks ICHR meet
By Nanki Hans

THE newly constituted Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) under the BJP held its first meeting at the expensive Indian International Centre, New Delhi, last week amid a lot of din. A few days prior to the meeting, the platform of the lift at the ICHR complex had given away. A few persons had a providential escape.

The main objective of the meeting appeared to be the expulsion of archaeologist Swaminathan from the general secretaryship of the ICHR which had led to protests by archaeologists in India and abroad over the demolition of Babri Masjid.

The second objective was to condemn the working of the council “under the influence of Leftist Congressmen and Communists.” Those on the firing line were Prof S.R. Sharma, Prof Irfan Habib and Dr Bimal Prasad. Prof Sharma is the first president of the ICHR and a renowned scholar of Indian feudalism.

Prof Irfan Habib was criticised for giving “excessive importance to Communists in his documentary volume “Towards Freedom.” Prof Habib is famous for his work on Mughal India. Prof Bimal Prasad, an expert on bondage under and from the British, too was not spared. None of the three historians are now members of the council.

The main criticism was the inordinate delay in the publication of the volume of series “Towards freedom”. No doubt, the publication took longer than expected. There is widespread suspicion that illustrious persons in the country “sub-let” their works. This delayed the project “which begins to appear expensive over a period of time”, say sources in the ICHR.

Prof Sharma had undertaken a project on the inscriptions in India. A few volumes have been published. He is reputed to have some cards with details of inscriptions on them. Much has been made of the money given to him by the ICHR for the project. A sum of Rs 5 lakh for a period of five years seems a big amount on the face of it, but roughly works out to Rs 1 lakh a year, which is not stupendous by any standards. Even college lecturers are paid more in a year.

It was suggested at the meeting that a dignified way should be adopted to criticise the earlier ICHR functioning. Also, the present council should show a better performance during its three-year tenure. Only then could it be justified in its criticism. The plea that Prof S.R. Sharma being the first president of the ICHR deserved some consideration from the members was ignored.

Prof Settar from Dharwar University in Karnataka was in an unenviable position. He found hard to defend the maladministration in the ICHR. He could not even remotely be held responsible for the earlier functioning. It was alleged at the meeting that a translation of a Persian manuscript on Mughal history was stolen by an employee of the ICHR and submitted to a university for a Ph.D. degree. The difficulty is that such a theft is not possible to prove. The ICHR has nothing to do with the award of degrees by universities.

Prof Lall of the Archaeological Survey of India, Prof Lall, a medieval historian and Prof Grover, a former director of the ICHR, are now the moving spirits of the council. They are on several committees, including the research and publication committee and the administration committee.

The ICHR, during the past few years, has managed to get more than 80 books on Indian history translated into Punjabi for the benefit of Punjabi students. It has reportedly approached Punjabi University, Patiala, for publication of these books.

A few scholars who had gathered at the India International Centre library after the meeting wished modernisation in the council deliberations. One of them, a Senior Fellow of Punjabi University, Patiala, and a renowned Sikh historian, pointed out that “ideology is indispensable in any philosophical endeavour, but has a unique weakness in making the committed man think of the adversary not only as an ignorant, but also a dishonest person”.

In the final analysis, the manner of criticism by the ICHR members has made it obligatory for the new council to perform better. They may have bitten more than they can chew.

Reminiscences
Teachers then and now
By K. K. Agarwal

I was a student of Class VII at DAV School, Amritsar, Pandit Shiv Kumar Shastri was taking our Sanskrit class. He was a meticulous teacher and had earlier explained to us a particular rule of grammar as well as exception to that rule. When he was translating the text for us, I noticed that the same rule had been used although it was a fit case for an exception. I interrupted him.

For a second he wanted to brush aside my query as it would have taken away the time of the class. But then the teacher in him forced him not to discourage inquisitiveness in a student. He took great pains explaining Panini’s original grammar and instances of exception to an exception.

The incident has always come to my mind whenever a student has raised a question during my three decades of the teaching career. The understanding of the grammar probably helped me in my computer education in the following years.

When I was a student of Class VIII, Principal Bhagat Ram instructed our classteacher, who used to teach us mathematics, to prepare 10 students for a scholarship examination being held by the State Board of Education. I was one of the those selected. We were given two problems to be solved. The problems were tough. My fellow-students could not solve either of the problems, while I triumphantly declared that I have been able to solve one. Contrary to expectations, my teacher was furious. He made a statement which I have remembered all my life. “To be better than others is not enough. You have to be perfect”. I am sure this has subconsciously been my guiding principle in life.

Prof M.K. Gupta would teach us mathematics in pre-engineering. He was a tough teacher and seldom praised a student. But as I stood first in the university, he became obsessed with my performance. When I, along with my father, went to invite him for my marriage, he felt anguished. “Why are you marrying him at such a young age? Let him get his Ph.D and become a Reader within a record time”, he requested my father.

“Sir, I shall still achieve the same”, I said. He did not believe me and did not attend my marriage. Only after I had fulfilled the targets set by him that he came to my parents to congratulate me and withdraw his words. Such was the affection and concern of teachers for students those days.

I am not sure whether my students have been as lucky as I have. I only hope some of them will remember me through some events, may be after a few decades.

Students in a fix
From Vimal Sumbly

HISAR: The future of 22 MBA students of Mohta Institute of Management, Faridabad, hang in the balance due to the “delaying tactics” of the management in giving them admission.

The students were selected through a joint entrance test conducted by Guru Jambeshwar University, Hisar. Mohta Institute of Management was one of the several institutions affiliated to the university.

However, for reasons best known to the Haryana Government, it converted the university into a residential one. All colleges affiliated to it were either affiliated with Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, or Kurukshetra University. Subsequently, Mohta Institute of Management was affiliated to MDU, Rohtak. Now its management is refusing admission to students duly selected in the joint entrance test.

Significantly all institutions earlier affiliated with GJU and transferred to KU or MDU have already granted admission to the selected candidates on the basis of the selection made by GJU.

The Haryana Government on July 15 issued a notification changing GJU’s status into a residential university. The university had already started the admission process for various courses at that time. While the entrance test for the management courses was conducted much before July 15, the interviews of qualifying candidates were conducted later.

All other colleges have already started coaching of the candidates selected on the basis of the joint entrance test conducted by GJU. But Mohta Institute of Management, according to sources, has refused admission to the students reportedly on the plea that the institute will now make admissions on the basis of the test conducted by MDU, to which it is affiliated.

Some students told TNS that they had been made to suffer for no fault of theirs. They met the Vice-Chancellor of GJU on September 9, who has taken up the matter with the MDU authorities.

Campus Scene
Varsity abuzz with activity
By Peeyush Agnihotri

CHANDIGARH: With the date of students’ elections announced, its time yet again for rhetorics and long-winding speeches by budding young leaders. The Panjab University campus is abuzz with activity. Tents of various student bodies have propped up and banners exhorting students to vote have mushroomed at almost all thinkable places. The Student Centre remains the hottest spot, where every leader worth his salt tries to impress the student community. While students are expecting a nail-biting finish, authorities have other reasons to bite their nails. Past one month on the campus can be called anything but peaceful and nobody is taking any chances this time. Various measures have been announced to ensure smooth poll. Unmindful of all tension, student community is optimistic, bubbling with enthusiasm and is betting that everything would end well, Amen!

* * * *

The fate of two Ph.D students is hanging fire in the University Business School. Panjab University, with the chairman of the department and a faculty member locking horns over the issue. These students, who are full-time employees with private firms and had allegedly not attended even a single class of marketing management, were expectantly disqualified by the subject teacher, who probably believes in calling spade a spade. The Chairman, however, objected to it and asked the faculty member to “reconsider their cases”. The faculty member resisted all sorts of pressures and has written to the DUI quoting precedences, wherein, students had to leave their doctorate studies due to their inability to attend classes. The Chairman, Mr R.P. Gupta, when contacted said nonchalantly; “We are going to re-examine the students within a week and this is very much within the university rules.”

* * * *

When the region sneezes, Chandigarh too catches cold. This time too, the declaration of engineering college result by the PTU is giving many anxious moments to those aspirants who missed the berth by a margin of a few marks in the university’s Chemical Engineering department and PEC. The final counselling by the PTU is bound to have a cascading effect and many seats are likely to fall vacant. The “borderline cases” have already started making rounds of the department demanding that the PU too should extend the date of final counselling. On the issue, the chairman of the Chemical Engineering department, Dr Vohra said; ‘Let the dust settle after PTU’s final counselling. Then, if a lot of seats fall vacant in the department, we may go in for final counselling in the first week of October after the VC’s consultation.”

* * * *

The charge of the students attached to the PU centre of IGNOU has again gone to the Karnal region with effect from September 1, 1998. Earlier, owing to some administrative problems, the same had been shifted to Shimla. “Students need not worry at all about the change,” says Mr Saijpal, coordinator, and adds that without botheration to students their all relevant documents, including course fee sent, would get transferred from one centre to other.

* * * *

The recent strike by university teachers, which started with much hullabaloo and ended with a whimper, has left many with a bad taste in the mouth with most faculty members alleging a raw deal. “Though faculty members stand to gain financially, yet have lost careerwise,” says executive member, PUTA, Mr N.S. Mann.

An ex-AIFUCTO activist, he says that the main recommendation of the UGC to imbibe best talent in the country by giving higher pay has gone abegging.

Letter
Campus violence

THE recent incident of violence at Panjab University in which Syndics were involved has raised many eyebrows in the academic circles.

A few days ago a former student leader and a present fellow of Panjab University was involved in a criminal case. He is alleged to have fired on student leaders with his revolver, injuring one of them seriously. Now a Syndic of Panjab University is alleged to have manhandled members of the personal staff of Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

Why are the so-called custodians (Senators and Syndics) of the temple of learning spoiling the academic atmosphere at the university campus.

The system of election and nomination of fellows is being considered as the cause of such unpleasant happenings. Under the system those not connected with academics get elected or nominated. Fifteen fellows are elected from the registered graduates constituency which constitutes lakhs of voters and more than 24 members nominated by the Chancellor. In the early fifties this constituency used to provide genuine educationists and scholars directly or indirectly connected with education.

This system worked well up to the sixties. Now a majority of nominated Senators are not even remotely connected with academics. Business men, including cinema house owners, constitute some of them and dictate the academicians.

It will be in the fitness of things that the graduate constituency is totally abolished and these seats transferred to the constituency of college/university teachers in due proportion.

Dr. H. S. DHANOA, Chandigarh

Youth & career

• Govt. Institute of Engineering, Sonepat: Certificate courses in Computer Science. Contact institute. Last date September 23.
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Post Box 335, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal: Post-graduate programme in Forestry Management. Test on December 13. Contact Director. Last date November 30.
• Purvanchal University, Jaunpur: BCA course. Test on September 27. Contact School of Management Sciences, Hathua Market, Varanasi. Last date September 23.
• AIIMS, New Delhi-110029: Post MD/MS training in Medical Biotechnology. Contact Department of Biotechnology.
• Advanced Training Institute, Gill Road, Ludhiana: Various short term courses. For detail see Tribune dated September 8.
• Department of Correspondence Courses, Panjab University, Chandigarh: Graduate/Post-graduate/Post-graduate diploma/Diploma course. Contact university. Last date September 29 (with late fee Rs 75).
• NIFT, Hauz Khas, New Delhi: Certificate course in Production Technology. Contact institute. Last date September 30.
• IGNOU, Regional Centre, Old Govt. College Campus, Railway Road, Karnal: Post-graduate diploma programme in Translation/Post-graduate certificate programme in Writing for Radio. Contact centre or Study Centres. Last date September 30.
  
  

Kids duped into taking cocaine
Cocaine-sellers are always up with innovative ways of duping their prospective customers into buying their product. School children in north-central Mexico were found to be eating cocaine instead of salt with their potato chips. Reports from Mexico City said home-made potato chips were being sold outside a downtown school with small packets of white powder wrapped in plastic in the provincial capital San Luis Potosi. It appeared to be salt, but after a few complaints Health Ministry officials analysed the substance and found it to be cocaine. No arrests have been made so far, but local education officials were searching the backpacks of students in the school grounds. — ANI

Ruling on minority schools
The Supreme Court has held that the management of a minority school is not inhibited by any legislative or executive fiat while choosing and appointing any qualified person as headmaster. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice S. Saghir Ahmed and Mr Justice K. T. Thomas in their 15-page recent judgement said, “The management’s right to choose a qualified person as the headmaster of the school is well insulated by the protective cover of Article 30 of the Constitution and it cannot be chiselled out through any legislative or executive rule.” The Bench, while dismissing an appeal by a teacher in a Kerala school challenging management’s decision to bring from outside a qualified person as headmaster, said the qualification and conditions of service alone could be fixed through a legislative or executive directive. The school in question was declared as a Muslim minority community school on August 2, 1994, and was aided by the government under provisions of the Kerala Education Act, 1958. — PTI

IGNOU-Commonwealth MoU
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Friday for launching a certificate/diploma programme in youth and development through distance education. The new programme is expected to start from January next year, IGNOU said in a release. The agreement was signed by Mr K. J. S. Prasada Rao, Registrar, IGNOU, and Ms Jane Forster, Special Adviser and head of Youth Affairs at Commonwealth Secretariat, which has been running training programmes for the past 21 years. These programmes provide opportunities for the youth to face new challenges, the release said. — PTI