[Assam] Assam International University-AT edit

[Manoj Das]

*Assam International University
— Pratap Bora* *T*he recent declaration by the Chief Minister of Assam
regarding the Central Minister for Human Resource Development's announcement
of establishment of one university of international standard in Assam is a
development pregnant with many implications. Universities, as these are
generally known today, were born in medieval Europe and were gradually
exported to other parts of the world as a part of the European expansion.

In India, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras universities were established in 1857
synchronizing with Sydney and Melbourne Universities in 1850 in Australia.
However, universities with classical and spiritual ideologies had been first
established in India more than 2000 years ago. Two of them, Nalanda and
Taksila were known in countries like Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand,
Malayasia, Burma, Ceylon, Cambodia and Indonesia. As these modern cradles of
wisdom started growing the universities of Punjab (1882), Banaras (1916),
Mysore (1916), Patna (1917) and Osmania (1918) were established in India
progressively. Assam joined this quest for "sweetness and light" with
Gauhati University in 1947-48. Today our State has five national level
universities and one Indian Institute of Technology. Still there is a very
wide void and enough space for one international university in Assam.

Twenty first century has already exhibited many uncertainties. The
challenges before mankind today are entirely different from those faced by
us during the whole period of human existence. Technology has led us to a
new era which is yet to acquire a proper nomenclature. Information boom,
automation, electronic revolution, biotechnology, nano technology, to name
only the familiar few, have created for us a new world, the ways of which
are not known to us. The new concept of a modern university is that it is on
the one side a huge warehouse of information and on the other an excellent
workshop for production of human resource capable of handling this
information through knowledge and wisdom for welfare of man and nature.

These universities must offer impressive range of academic resources and
research facilities. It must have a state of the art library with three to
five million volumes with on-line catalog system and database search
service. It must subscribe to at least 30,000 periodicals. Its extensive
research facilities must have wings of, 1) Biotechnology, 2) High Energy
Synchrotron Studies, 3) Nano Fabrication Facility, 4) Centre for Theory and
Simulation in Science and Engineering), 5) Centre for Specific Regional
Studies.

The major fields should be created after most careful consideration. Besides
being highly competitive the fields ought to be able to fulfil universal as
well as regional needs. These must include, Outer-space Engineering,
Agro-biological Engineering, Cellular - Biology, City and Regional Planning,
Environmental Engineering, Communication Technology, Consumer Economics,
Development Sociology, Food science, Hotel Administration, Human Service
Studies, Immunology, Rural Development, Management Science, Neurobiology,
Nuclear Science. Atmospheric Science and Performing Art beside basic fields
of Science and Humanities.

The seed money required for building up infrastructure par excellence for
such an institution is approximately Rs 3000 crore. The figure is carefully
projected by comparing expenditure on infrastructure of two IITs and two
Central Universities of India and that of two leading universities of the
world. As suggested by the Chief Minister land required will be from six to
eight hundred hectares. Most important is the careful planning of the entire
project making through comparative study of the master plans of major
European, American, Australian and Asian Universities and keeping in mind
the history and heritage of Assam.

The university has to be raised at a tranquil, unpolluted locality. Instead
of further eroding either forest area or the available land in tribal belt
two outstations of Assam Agricultural University may be brought under
consideration. These are Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia and Sugarcane
Research Station, Shillongoni, Nagaon. Otherwise government may also
consider one of the sick tea gardens under ATC. The Negheriting and
Sokolating Tea estates at Jorhat and Dergaon are very attractive
propositions. It must be noted very seriously that site selection is a
serious matter and no whimsical consideration should be allowed to creep in.

The next important job is the collection faculty from different parts of the
world. Assarnese scholars and researchers today occupy many chairs in
leading universities and research institutions of the world. This pool of
human resource should be explored thoroughly and as much as possible native
brains should be lured back. Then taking merit and ability as only criteria
faculty from all over the world should be commissioned. From the beginning
reservation of seats and unionism of students should be totally banned. A
true scholar of modern technology does not have time for politics and he or
she does not need caste or community label. Their only goal is a peaceful
and prosperous future for mankind.

There are 187 universities in India and the "New policy on education" had
determined eight priorities for these institutions: (1) Consolidation and
expansion of institution; (2) development of autonomous colleges and
departments; (3) redesigning courses; (4) training of teachers; (5)
strengthening research; (6) improvement and efficiency; (7) creation of
structure for coordination at the state and the national levels; and (8)
mobility. From 1986 till today a good number of Indian universities have
undergone a kind of renaissance. In the present world if India is able to
hold its own in scientific research and technology it is partly because of
the work done in this sector.

Hence, people forming the core group for visualizing the concept of this new
University shall have a great responsibility. The life histories of all five
universities of Assam are full of general as well as periodical sick
reports. Ambitious planning executed with very poor managerial ability has
let down the aspirations of the people. Corruption at all levels including
the arrest of a vice-chancellor had soiled the images of all these five
great institutions. The core group must immunize the new university and
provide bullet proof armour to this new born child so that its health
continues to grow and progress. Every university aim at universal standards
but fail due to their own weaknesses. As this proposed university is going
to be located in Assam it must uphold the ethos of Assamese people and make
them proud of it. Knowledge and learning are rootless and futile if they are
not cultured and exercised through good will and wisdom.
(*The author is the retired Registrar of Assam Agriculture University*)
-- 
Manoj Kumar Das
C 172 GF, Sarvodaya Enclave
New Delhi 17 India
0091 9312650558 (HP) 9910972654