Ranchi, Aug. 29: Ranchi University vice-chancellor, S.S. Kushwaha, concedes that he faces an uphill task in turning the university around on its head.
The vice-chancellor, who had boasted barely two months ago that he would seek donations from business and industry, is clearly at his wits’ end as he says that it would be difficult for the university to touch any height under the “present state of affairs”. What has upset the vice-chancellor is the bureaucratic red-tape and indifference in releasing funds to the university. Without adequate funds, he says, his vision cannot be translated into reality.
Every time the university sent a proposal, he complained, the officials seemed to smell a rat. Several proposals for renovation, upgradation and development of infrastructure remained pending, he pointed out, as the university awaits sanction from the government.
The bureaucracy of a newly-formed state, the VC hoped, would have been more responsive to the needs of the university.
A university of repute, he added, would normally attract both academics and intellectuals throughout the year. Academic luminaries would visit the campus regularly for seminars, lectures and workshops while some would stay for longer periods as guest faculty.
Indeed, different faculties of the university should have been able to invite eminent teachers and scholars to join the university as “Professor Emeritus” and live in Ranchi for three years and more.
But poor infrastructure and unhealthy attitude of government officials , says the VC, stand in the way of realising this dream. The university, he complained, did not even have a proper guest house for visitors.“The way things stand, we are not even sure how long the renovation of the old guest house would take,” Kushwaha said. The dejected vice-chancellor confessed that the developments had disheartened him. “We are still hopeful,” he hastened to add, “ that our efforts will bear fruit and the university will come out of the mess,” but with very little conviction in his voice.
Talking of vision, there are universities which offer great writers and scholars free board and lodging and a “honorarium” to be the “resident scholar” at the university. They spend most of their time pursuing their own interest in studying a subject or writing a book. But according to the agreement with them, they do take a few classes and intereact regularly with teachers and students.
Cottages and farm houses around Ranchi would hold great attraction to writers, poets, sociologists, anthropologists and others to take time off and reside here for a year or two. But it is doubtful if the vision will be shared by people who matter. Judging by his experience so far, the vice chancellor appears to have little hope.
