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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE | Tuesday, June 3, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
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VC, Pro-VC not always on warpath Sanskrit University with five rooms! |
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VC, Pro-VC not always on warpath THE predominant views expressed in The Tribune favour the abolition of the post of Pro-Vice-Chancellor in Indian universities (May, 20). The writers who had expressed such strong views are connected with the Punjabi University, Patiala, where the present position of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor is being challenged in respect of his functions and utility. Let us see the arguments advanced for the abolition of the post of Pro-Vice-Chancellor. The main argument is that the office of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor becomes a rival power centre against the Vice-Chancellor, creating complications in the administrative set-up and vitiating the academic atmosphere of the university. Such an intriguing situation, it is argued, generates a spirit of rank factionalism among the faculty members. In other words, existence of these two offices is inimical to the academic interests of the university. It is further argued that the abolition of the post of Pro-Vice-Chancellor would save a hefty amount of money which could well be put to a better use than waste it on a totally unproductive venture. In view of the economic difficulties that some universities are faced with it is appropriate to abolish the post of Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and in this connection the action of the Haryana Government for abolishing the post his been lauded. To be fair, one does not understand why the Haryana Government should have woken after such a long slumber and take this totally unexpected action — there is more to it than meets the eye. It is curious, indeed, that the issue should be viewed as PVC vs VC and not PVC and VC, and better still as PVC plus VC. In several universities, both the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor have worked in tandem’. I remember how in Haryana B.N. Chakravarty, the Chancellor, had created the post of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Kurukshetra University when Justice S.K. Dutta was the Vice- Chancellor. The university saw absolute smooth working. The beautiful campus buildings which are now the envy of other universities, all came up in blazing glory then. The Vice-Chancellor and the Rector (another name for Pro-Vice- Chancellor) are working wonderfully well at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Why should it be assumed that the PVC’s disagreements with his VC are inimical to the interests of the university. The creation of a squadron of like-minded people holding uniform views is ruinous to the academic growth of the university. A similarity of views on a collective scale shows the weariness of spirit and intellect. Abolish controversies and we obscure and bury understanding. It is the diversity of views that enriches the quality of mind and life. To perceive the issue as the PVC vs VC is rather simplistic, it is much more complicated. We have to see in the issue the role of the government in power. As the situation exists in this country, a Vice-Chancellor or Pro-Vice Chancellor appointed by the previous government suddenly finds himself placed in a precarious situation. So the government claim on abolishing the PVC post on altruistic grounds is questionable in the present vicious topsy-turvy world of polities. Being a controlling authority, the state governments are the nurseries of many problems. They generate a spirit of factionalism in the university. Seldom does an executive council work independently on crucial matters—the invisible hand is invisable there to settle matters. Alas! the executive councils no longer have the benefit of the advice of eminent men of stature who can take an independent stand in resisting arbitrariness and government pressures. Our present educational arrangements are modelled on the British system of education which was introduced by Lord Curzon in the early 20th century. Our university system is highly bureaucratic though the administrative part is the least important in the university set-up. A university is not a bureaucracy, not a government agency, but a social and intellectual partnership forged between teachers and students for seeking knowledge, wisdom and higher value of life. The best institutions administered in reality are the least administered. The main difficulty in respect of the conflict between the Vice-Chancellor and Pro- Vice-Chancellor arises on account of the type of individuals who are appointed on such high positions. Generally, these appointments are made on political grounds. Either the individuals appointed are those who are expected to toe the government line or those to whom the government offers the appointment as reward for some service rendered. As the controversy PVC vs VC involves longer issues so I suggest. Appointment to the positions of the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor be made according to the guidelines as followed by central universities. Academic autonomy be preserved by decentralising authority among various university bodies and faculty members. Eminent men of stature and experience from different professions be elected to the Executive Council, academic Council and the Court. Government funding is ensured for implementing various schemes in the university. Faculty members participate actively in the decision-making process by taking an objective and independent stand on crucial matters concerning the welfare and development of the university. |
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Sanskrit University with five rooms! AS many as 500-odd students of the Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Garli, under Dehra subdivision of Kangra district, and their parents/guardians are a worried lot. Dark clouds of uncertainty about its future continue to worry them. Dedicated to the people of this hill heartland on September 16, 1997, this premier institute, since declared a deemed university, is housed, hold your breath! in five rooms of a local girls’ primary school. Of the five rooms, classes are held in three, while a room each serves as the office-cum-staff room and the Principal’s office-cum-library. While inaugurating this premier Sanskrit vidyapeeth here, the then Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, had announced that the institute would soon have its own building. However, the matter was stalled as the then Congress government in the state was voted out of power. The late Narayan Chand Parashar, a former Education Minister, wanted to set up a Sanskrit university at Kaleshwar, also known as Hardwar, on the banks of the Beas. The underlying idea behind setting up this institute in the ambient backdrop failed to take off since the temple land could not be transferred in the name of the institute as per the stringent agrarian laws. This was despite the fact that there was a virtual spate of voluntary land donations for the purpose from local residents. The locale then was shifted to Saduan village, 7 km from Kaleshwar. Notwithstanding the offers for voluntary land donations from the public, the much-hyped proposal to have the vidyapeeth here died in its infancy. During the five-year term of BJP rule, abortive bids were made by certain political bigwigs to hijack this institute to Una. Meanwhile, the UGC sent a special survey team to visit all eight Sanskrit vidyapeeths, now all deemed universities, operating across the country and submit its report indicating if these were running as per the provisions of the UGC. On the recommendations of the visiting team of erudite scholars, it was made mandatory for these universities to comply with the provisions of the commission within five years. The survey team discovered, much to its wonder, that the institute at Garli, which was, indeed a stop-gap arrangement, did not have enough infrastructure, including building, library and staff. The team recommended the closure of this institute since it had failed to live up to the common man’s expectations. However, it was let off with a stern warning by the commission that it must be given one more chance to improve upon. The warning has sounded the alarming bell among 500 students of this institute and their parents/guardians who may be left in the lurch if nothing is done on the part of the vidyapeeth management and the state government. The institute remains under-staffed and ill-equipped. If a fresh appointment, if any, is made to meet the requirement of this ‘jinxed’ institute, the incumbent prefers to join elsewhere by using his or her political connections for obvious reasons. Finally, the ball is in the court of the Gram Panchayat, Pragpur, which is making a last-ditch effort to save this ‘fledgling’ institute. The panchayat has offered to donate 200 kanals of land at Nakki. This apart, Mr Krishan Kumar Aka Keertu, a local resident, has offered to raise a building as per the institute’s requirements and hand over the same to the vidyapeeth authorities by July-end. He has agreed to charge rent on the PWD pattern. “It would be an ad hoc arrangement till the institute finally shifts to its own building,” says Keertu. Now that Mr Virbhadra Singh has taken over the reins of the state, the government would do well by shifting this institute from Garli to the proposed building at Pragpur. Once the modalities with regard to allotment of 200 kanals of land at Nakki are worked out, the institute can stake its claim to the requisite financial aid from the Union Ministry of Human Resources. It would, indeed, be a yeoman’s service on the part of the government to save this premier Sanskrit vidyapeeth. |
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ADMISSION DEADLINE Agriculture Jun 17: Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar 125004. http://hau.nic.in BVSc & AH BSc (Hons) (Agri, Home Sc) MSc (Food Sc & Tech) MBA: Master’s Prog (Agri, Agri Engg, Animal Sc, Basic Sc, Home Sc, Vet Sc) Selectn: For 1, 3 & 4: Entrance Test (5 July). For 2 & 5: Merit. Appln F: Send Rs 400/- (For SC/ST: Rs. 140/-) by IPO/DD favouring “Registrar, CCS HAU, Hisar” payable at PO/SBI, HAU, Hisar to the Assistant Registrar (Acad), at above add or download from website. Armed Forces Jun 16: INS Kunjali, Colaba, Mumbai 400005. www.nausena-bharti.mil.in Non Matric Entry Recruitment- Musician Sailors Elig: Unwed Indian male, Cl 8 with proficiency, aural aptitude, theoretical kw of music & pract skill on any instru. DoB: 1 Oct’83- 30 Sep’86. Appln F & Details: Employment News (17- 23 May) & website. Engineering Jun 16: Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur (Deemed Univ). www.mnit.net MTech (FT/PT) (1) Water Resource Engg; (2) Env Engg; (3) Transportation Engg; (4) Power Sys Engg; (5) Electron & Comm Engg; (6) Mfg Sys Engg; (7) Non-Ferrous Metallurgy; (8) CAD in Struct Engg Elig: Bachelor’s deg in: For 1, 3 & 8: Civil Engg. For 2: Civil/ Elect/ Chem/ Mech/ Metal/ MSc (Chem/Geol). For 4: Elect. For 5: Electron & Comm/Elect. For 6: Mech/Prodn/Indl. For 7: Metal/Mech/Chem)/MSc (Phys/Chem) with GATE score. Appln F: Send Rs 550/- by DD favouring “Registrar, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur” payable at Jaipur to above add. Separate form for each prog. Jun 13: Technical Teacher’s Training Institute, Sec 26, Chandigarh 160019. www.tttichd.ac.in (1) MTech (Engg Edu) (2) ME (Mfg Tech, Constn Tech & Mgt, Comp Sc & Engg, Electron & Comm, Instru & Ctrl). Appln F: Send Rs. 300/- by crossed DD favouring “Principal, TTTI, Chandigarh” with self-add env (25 cm x 20 cm) at above add. At Counter: Rs. 250/-. Jun 16: Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625015 (TN). www.tce.edu ME: (Civil, Elect & Electron, Mech, Electron & Commun, Comp Sc & Engg) MSc: (Appld Maths, Chem, Material Sc & Tech) Appln F: Send Rs. 450/- by DD favouring “Principal, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625015” payable at Madurai with stamped (Rs. 20/-) self-add env (26 x 11 cm) at above add by 13 Jun or download from website. Elig & Details: Website. Management Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Dayanand College of Communication & Mgt, Madhya Marg, Sec 27 B, Chandigarh. www.bvbonline.com PG Dip: (Journalism, PR, Mass Comm, Mktg & Sales Mgt, Bus Mgt, IR & PM, Intl Trade, Matrl Mgt, Mktg & Advtg Mgt, Fin Mgt) Cert Personality Dev (6-mth) Entrepren Dev Prog (3-mth) Elig: Bachelor’s deg. Appln F: At counter. Jun 14: Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), 1st Floor, New Mgmt Bldg, Atur Centre, 1068, Gokhale Cross Road, Model Colony, Pune 411016. www.scdl.net PG Dip (1-yr, dist) (Insurance Mgt) PG Dip (2-yr, dist) (Bus Admn, Intl Trade, Human Resource Mgt) Elig: Bachelor’s deg/dip holders from govt. polytech with 5 yr supervisory ex. AppIn F: Send Rs 800/- by DD favouring “The Director SCDL”, payable at Pune to above add. Details: Website. Jun 15: National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW), Munirka, New Delhi 110067. www.nihfw.org PG Cert (1) Health & Family Welfare Mgt (1-yr, dist) (2) Hosp Mgt (1-yr, dist) Elig: For 1: MBBS, State/MCI regd. For 2: MBBS, State/MCI regd & 5 yrs wk ex in hosp. (excluding internship/house Job). Appln F: Send Rs. 100/- by crossed IPO/DD payable to the Director, NIHFW at New Delhi. Jun 16 Tata Dhan Academy, Pulloothu, Ellis Nagar, Madurai 625010. www.dhan.org PG Dip (Develop Mgt) (15 mth) Elig: 4 yrs deg or Master’s deg (50%). Selectn: Entrance Test (22 Jun). Appln F: Send Rs. 200/- by DD favouring “DHAN Academy” payable at Madurai to the Admission Co-ordinator at above add. Medicine Jun 16: Amar Jyoti Rehabilitation & Research Centre, University of Delhi, Karkardooma, Vikas Marg, Delhi 110092. www.amarjyoti.org BSc (H) (Physiotherapy) (4 ½-yr) Elig: Cl 12 (PCB with Eng, 50%). Age: 17 yrs. Selectn: Entrance Exam (6 July). Appln F: Send Rs. 525/- by crossed DD favouring “Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust (BPT)” payable at Delhi to above add. Recruitment Jun 15: The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., Shipping House, 245, Madame Cama Rd, Mumbai 400021. Trainee Marine Engineer Elig: Unmarried M/F; BE/BTech (Mech/Naval Arch, 50%). Age: 24-yrs (on 1 Jan ’04). Selectn: Written Test: 20 July (at 5 centres incld Kol & Guwahati), Interview & Med Test. Appln F & Details : Employment News (10-16 May) & website. Teaching & Education Jun 30: Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110068. www.ignou.ac.in BEd (2-yr) Elig: Bachelor’s or higher deg/In-service teachers with 2yrs, FT ex in primary/sec/higher/sr school recog by Central or State Govt. Selectn: Entrance Test (3 Aug). Appln F: Send Rs 550/- by DD/IPO favoring “IGNOU” payable at the city of RC or HQ by 16 Jun or download from website. Write name, add & prog on rev of DD. Details: Website. Travel & Transportation Jun 10 School of Aviation Science & Technology, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi 110003 (Delhi Flying Club Ltd., DGCA approved). Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence Training Prog (3-yrs) Elig: Cl 12 (PCM & Eng, 55%) or BSc (Phys/Chem/Math, 50%). Age: 20 yrs for Cl 12. 22 yrs for BSc. Selectn: Entrance Test (22 Jun). Appln F: : Send appln with Rs. 350/- by DD payable to “The Delhi Flying Club Ltd. New Delhi”. Sports & Leisure Jun 6: Western Railway Sports Association, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020. Sports Persons for Recruitment in Gr ‘C’ & ‘D’ Elig: For Gr ‘C’: Cl 10. For Gr ‘D’: Cl 8. Age: 18-25 yrs (as on 30 Sep). Selectn: Trial & Interview. Appln F & Details: Employment News (24-31 May). Pervin Malhotra, Director, |
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