[Assam] Gauhati University–need for a rebirth-— Abhijit Bora (The Assam Tribune,08.06.2007)

Thu Jun 7 23:57:55 EDT 2007

                  EDITORIAL 

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  Gauhati University–need for a rebirth
— Abhijit BoraIt is a hard fact to accept that we are living in an intensely-competitive atmosphere in each and every walk of our life–be it economy, industry or education. In this competitive age in the industrial sector, companies are flooding the market with almost ‘zero’ defect products and things from all reputed concerns are of identical quality with hardly any lacuna.

In a similar way we need to achieve the same status in the field of education so that we can also compete with the world’s best. But, in the Indian circumstances how do we achieve this?

Barring the IITs, IIMs, some of the NITs (former RECs), some other frontline institutions including a few central universities, there is nothing much to write home about in other government-maintained institutions, more so for those supported by the State governments. Gauhati University is also no exception to this state of things.

When GU was established 60 years ago with the aim of illuminating the North-East we had high hopes which could be fulfilled to a great extent by this great alma mater. But, with the passage of time we have witnessed a serious decline in the institution’s fortunes to the extent of the present head of it having to desperately look for funds to finance various ambitious schemes from all possible sources.

The question is how the situation became so pathetic? One major cause has been the refusal of the parties concerned to realise and admit the ground realities over the years, that investment in the educational sector is a continuous process. And there can be no such thing like once invested. It will yield results for the next half or full century. Education is such subject the benefits of which can be felt and realised only after years which can’t be measured in terms of exact mathematical logic.

There has been the question of a lack of ‘vision’ on the part of the State which had failed to foresee the newer requirements throughout the history of GU and the result is there for everyone to see.

Whatever it is, everything boils down to the point that GU today seriously needs an infusion of a substantial amount of money for ensuring its resurgence. The present Vice Chancellor has presented a comprehensive and ambitious plan to the government and other funding agencies though the response has not been encouraging. The amount of Rs 181 crore that is being sought by the VC may look quite a high amount. But it has become so because of lack of any major investment in the institution during the past so many years barring a few exceptions.

There is a view that GU should at first try to attract the students of the region heading outside for higher studies before talking of funds for improving infrastructure. But, this is the age of marketing and the students community has also become quite intelligent nowadays. Similarly, the guardians have also become informed to enquire about the infrastructure facilities available prior to admitting their wards in any institution. This is because everyone knows that in this age of intense competition a certificate hardly maters unless a graduate has at least some skills to demonstrate to the potential job providers. And, if we don’t have the facilities would we be able to attract the best of the students? Had we been able to provide state-of-the part facilities here, will so many students leave for better educational facilities outside the region?

Besides, there is another major factor for students going out in such huge numbers. That is – the ready job options that they get immediately after passing out of the institutions in the metros. On the contrary, in the NE, can we confidently say that we are able to offer professional opening to a majority of the students graduating from the universities and colleges today? So there is no point in blaming only the educational institutions for this brain drain. The efforts of the institutions need to be supported from all quarters.

These days, the world over ‘development of the human resources’ is the ‘in thing’ any society. The prevailing world paradigm is that if the people are developed or empowered by skills for making them trained and confident, they would earn a livelihood on their own without becoming a burden on anyone. And towards this direction all the quarters concerned–the State, society, institutions have to work in tandem which does not seem to be the case today in the country as a whole. We just pass the buck saying that it is the job of the universities, colleges and schools to correct the situation and clean up the mess. There is another argument that the institutions of higher education should manage to generate their own resources. But there is a cliche here. For a general university like GU what are the sources for generating own revenues.

First of all–the research projects in applied as well as basic areas which account for a certain percentage of contribution to the university in kinds are not all much in cash terms. Another possibility is the consultancy projects which some faculty members of GU are already offering to organisations approaching them from time to time. But the GU needs a huge investment at one go. The government, UGC or others do support it but like any other government organisation, the lion’s share goes towards meeting various liabilities including salary, general maintenance etc. The amount generated from students tuition fees, examination fees etc is just enough to supplement the government grants. So, ultimately hardly enough is left for investments in infrastructure developmental projects.

Of course, there is no denying of the fact that from time to time government agencies or other sources do provide some funds which is just enough to make some temporary arrangements while the major concerns remain unanswered as usual. On the contrary a developed nation like Singapore is putting emphasis upon developing educational facilities there. Singapore has three universities supported by the government directly–one technological –Nanyang Technological University (NTU)– one general and one exclusive management university. In an encouraging development, the Singapore government early last year has allowed ‘corporatisation’ of the NTU which has facilities a better autonomous functioning in all aspects of the institution. Following this development, NTU has managed to raise a mind boggling amount of 29 million Singapore Dollars (one Singapore Dollar is worth Rs 30). And, the government is expected to forward a matching grant to this amount to the university. Now one can
 imagine how seriously the Singapore government and society have taken their responsibilities on the educational front. The university has already achieved a position in the top 200 universities of the world with world class facilities. And it was set up only in 1955, first as an institution of education and only in the early 1980s transformed into a technological university.

It is the job of a university to provide intellectual leadership to the society and efficiently and adequately train our ‘future leaders’. However, the situation has become such that there is an express need for better infrastructure to match the spirit and enthusiasm of the teaching as well as the student community.

The sooner the society and the government understand it the better. Of course, if any of these two parties concerned in this business decides to remain a mute spectator by feigning ignorance and sends an impression of not being able to understand this simple fact then we have nothing to say and leave the matter to the public to decide.
(The writer teaches in Communication and Journalism department, GU)

   (The Assam Tribune,08.06.2007)

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