Year of discord for university
By Vikas Vaidya
The cancellation of visit by President of India Pranab Mukherjee to Nagpur has had a larger and adverse impact on the image of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. It was a big blow for the university administration. Though the reason behind the cancellation of the President’s visit is still unknown, the major one was found to be the doubts raised about the veracity of degrees of over 1,300 students of RTMNU. The degrees were suspected to be bogus and were to be awarded in the presence of the President. The degrees were of the students from 250 colleges, running sans teachers, banned by university.
The issue of banned 250 colleges haunted the university’s administration throughout the year. With 250 colleges banned, half of the university came to a near standstill. All these 250 colleges were running without a single approved teacher. The fact got exposed as Sunil Mishra got the information under Right to Information Act (RTI) from the university about the number of colleges running without approved teachers. Mishra filed a petition and the High Court delivered judgement on May 3. Accordingly, the University displayed the list of 250 colleges asking parents and students not to take admissions in those colleges. It added fuel to the fire and college managements opposed the move by the University. Meetings after meetings were held to resove the issue.
Meanwhile the date for the 100th convocation was fixed. There were three programmes scheduled on November 16, 2013 and President of India Pranab Mukherjee consented to attend all three. One of the programmes was of the University. All was set for the convocation and the issue of degrees of students of these banned colleges came up. The question arose as to who had given internal marks to the students when there were no approved teachers. Mishra sent a letter in this connection to the Chancellor and the President. The self-proclaimed ‘whistleblower’ raised the point whether the President should be asked to award ‘bogus degrees?’
The President’s office sent a letter to the Chancellor, who in turn asked the university to explain the matter. The University responded to the query by saying that they were not certain whether the marks were given by approved teachers. Following this reply the President cancelled the visit.
Many organisations expressed shocke and dismay over the unfortunate development. They pointed out that students had suffered a lot, but surprisingly not a single student organisation raised its voice on the issue. Many experts felt that the university had failed to defend itself. A good academician like Dr Sapkal fell prey to the politics in the university and the year 2013 proved to be the year of discord for the university.
Though Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sapkal enjoyed the reputation of being honest and non-corrupt even among his critics, the issues that cropped up from time to time during his tenure sullied the image of the University. During the initial 15 months, when various committees were defunct, Dr. Sapkal managed to take several student-friendly initiatives. However, later the whole administration got embroiled in internal discord among various interest groups. Personal issues were raked up and controversies got currency. The issue of the banned colleges became a bone of contention among various acedemic-politicians.
University was in news for all the wrong reasons though it did some good things but that were never highlighted by even university itself. It did sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with agencies like NEERI and some others for upgrading research. A number of committees formed, number of programmes prepared, a number of initiatives taken but rate of implementation was poor, barring a few. Ashwamedh, an inter-university sports event was a big success, RTMNU achieved success in cultural and sports events at Zonal level, for the first time it felicitated over 140 sportsperson of the university, prepared Vision Document with the help of Dr Sanjay Khadakkar and Dr Murlidhar Chandekar, Principal of VMV College, allowed Students Council to present such document from the students’ perspective.
Taking initiatives regarding current incidents like rape, confused young generation, suicide attempts by students; RTMNU constituted various committees with the inclusion of experts to deal with those. But what these committees are doing, nobody knows.
The boycott by teachers on examination valuation lasted for 100 days. Though Nagpur University was prepared to conduct examinations as per schedule, administration bowing to the teachers’ pressure, postponed the examinations. University cited the reason that the boycott might affect the valuation process. On the contrary, Vilas Ramteke, Controller of Examination in a meeting with Higher and Technical Education Minister had conveyed that RTMNU had no problem in going with the schedule. This fact university had hidden which came to the fore when Joint Director D B Patil informed the members in Senate meeting. The falsehood of university came to the fore.
When Students launched strike for carry on, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha team led by Nidhi Kamdar and Jitendra Thakur came to the rescue of university. University tried to tell students that carry-on could not be given but the youth brigade was in no mood to listen. Kamdar and Thakur showed the university its own notification of September 10, 2001 through which in the year 2001, the students had already been given admission as it was their last chance for annual pattern. Kamdar and Thakur had argued that university could apply the same thing now also and pacify the agitating students. University did, it worked and agitation ended.
The issue of vacancies in engineering colleges, MBA, Polytechnic continued this year too. In the year 2011 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had lowered down the eligibility criterion. It did not resist creation of vacancies. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan expressed worry and resulted into the formation of a committee under the Chairmanship of Dr G D Yadav, Director of UICT, Mumbai to find out the reasons of why vacancies had been on rise in colleges running technical education. In the year 2014, the students would be facing Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) to get admission to engineering courses and marks of HSC would get due importance unlike earlier.
The long pending demand of Nagpur got fulfilled as Government has endorsed the establishment of National Law University (NLU) in city. There was long debate regarding this issue as it was first announced at Nagpur. The focus then shifted to Aurangabad. At a programme in Aurangabad, the CM had announced that NLU would be set up at Aurangabad. Justice V S Sirpurkar led the crusade and High Court Bar Association (HCBA) too joined hands in demanding NLU at Nagpur. It bore the fruits and Nagpur got NLU.
The issue of banned 250 colleges haunted the university’s administration throughout the year. With 250 colleges banned, half of the university came to a near standstill. All these 250 colleges were running without a single approved teacher. The fact got exposed as Sunil Mishra got the information under Right to Information Act (RTI) from the university about the number of colleges running without approved teachers. Mishra filed a petition and the High Court delivered judgement on May 3. Accordingly, the University displayed the list of 250 colleges asking parents and students not to take admissions in those colleges. It added fuel to the fire and college managements opposed the move by the University. Meetings after meetings were held to resove the issue.
Meanwhile the date for the 100th convocation was fixed. There were three programmes scheduled on November 16, 2013 and President of India Pranab Mukherjee consented to attend all three. One of the programmes was of the University. All was set for the convocation and the issue of degrees of students of these banned colleges came up. The question arose as to who had given internal marks to the students when there were no approved teachers. Mishra sent a letter in this connection to the Chancellor and the President. The self-proclaimed ‘whistleblower’ raised the point whether the President should be asked to award ‘bogus degrees?’
The President’s office sent a letter to the Chancellor, who in turn asked the university to explain the matter. The University responded to the query by saying that they were not certain whether the marks were given by approved teachers. Following this reply the President cancelled the visit.
Many organisations expressed shocke and dismay over the unfortunate development. They pointed out that students had suffered a lot, but surprisingly not a single student organisation raised its voice on the issue. Many experts felt that the university had failed to defend itself. A good academician like Dr Sapkal fell prey to the politics in the university and the year 2013 proved to be the year of discord for the university.
Though Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sapkal enjoyed the reputation of being honest and non-corrupt even among his critics, the issues that cropped up from time to time during his tenure sullied the image of the University. During the initial 15 months, when various committees were defunct, Dr. Sapkal managed to take several student-friendly initiatives. However, later the whole administration got embroiled in internal discord among various interest groups. Personal issues were raked up and controversies got currency. The issue of the banned colleges became a bone of contention among various acedemic-politicians.
University was in news for all the wrong reasons though it did some good things but that were never highlighted by even university itself. It did sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with agencies like NEERI and some others for upgrading research. A number of committees formed, number of programmes prepared, a number of initiatives taken but rate of implementation was poor, barring a few. Ashwamedh, an inter-university sports event was a big success, RTMNU achieved success in cultural and sports events at Zonal level, for the first time it felicitated over 140 sportsperson of the university, prepared Vision Document with the help of Dr Sanjay Khadakkar and Dr Murlidhar Chandekar, Principal of VMV College, allowed Students Council to present such document from the students’ perspective.
Taking initiatives regarding current incidents like rape, confused young generation, suicide attempts by students; RTMNU constituted various committees with the inclusion of experts to deal with those. But what these committees are doing, nobody knows.
The boycott by teachers on examination valuation lasted for 100 days. Though Nagpur University was prepared to conduct examinations as per schedule, administration bowing to the teachers’ pressure, postponed the examinations. University cited the reason that the boycott might affect the valuation process. On the contrary, Vilas Ramteke, Controller of Examination in a meeting with Higher and Technical Education Minister had conveyed that RTMNU had no problem in going with the schedule. This fact university had hidden which came to the fore when Joint Director D B Patil informed the members in Senate meeting. The falsehood of university came to the fore.
When Students launched strike for carry on, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha team led by Nidhi Kamdar and Jitendra Thakur came to the rescue of university. University tried to tell students that carry-on could not be given but the youth brigade was in no mood to listen. Kamdar and Thakur showed the university its own notification of September 10, 2001 through which in the year 2001, the students had already been given admission as it was their last chance for annual pattern. Kamdar and Thakur had argued that university could apply the same thing now also and pacify the agitating students. University did, it worked and agitation ended.
The issue of vacancies in engineering colleges, MBA, Polytechnic continued this year too. In the year 2011 All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had lowered down the eligibility criterion. It did not resist creation of vacancies. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan expressed worry and resulted into the formation of a committee under the Chairmanship of Dr G D Yadav, Director of UICT, Mumbai to find out the reasons of why vacancies had been on rise in colleges running technical education. In the year 2014, the students would be facing Joint Entrance Examination (Mains) to get admission to engineering courses and marks of HSC would get due importance unlike earlier.
The long pending demand of Nagpur got fulfilled as Government has endorsed the establishment of National Law University (NLU) in city. There was long debate regarding this issue as it was first announced at Nagpur. The focus then shifted to Aurangabad. At a programme in Aurangabad, the CM had announced that NLU would be set up at Aurangabad. Justice V S Sirpurkar led the crusade and High Court Bar Association (HCBA) too joined hands in demanding NLU at Nagpur. It bore the fruits and Nagpur got NLU.
Dr Uma Vaidya shaping up Sanskrit University
With Dr Uma Vaidya taking charge as Vice-Chancellor of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, changes became visible. The 15-year old university could not take off since its inception because of so many factors. Its Ramtek office, official residence there hardly got the glimpse of the top boss. But Dr Vaidya now has started staying in Ramtek, renovated the office, cleaned the residence. She brought changes in academics also. Earlier nobody was serious about Sanskrit. Ph.D students too never bothered for Sanskrit. Dr Vaidya has made it compulsory to have atleast a portion of Ph.D thesis to be in full Sanskrit. She introduced the university’s students to other Sanskrit scholars who visited them and interacted with them. Now this has become a routine for the students of the university. The well-wishers of the university are hoping for a good change.
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