Salil Kumar Roy in Jamshedpur on Sunday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Nov. 21: The newly appointed vice chancellor of Kolhan University, Salil Kumar Roy, has pledged to ensure quality education for all its students, even if it means transfer of senior lecturers from top-notch colleges to those at the bottom.

Roy has already signalled the senior staff of Jamshedpur’s colleges to be prepared for less attractive stints in Chaibasa.

Roy visited Jamshedpur Women’s College, Karim City College, Graduate School College for Women and Jamshedpur Co-operative College on his maiden tour of the steel city in his new role.

“I believe in talking less and doing more. My first preference will be to transfer teachers on a seniority basis, in accordance with the Jharkhand State Universities Act. Most teachers would be transferred from Jamshedpur, so I want them to be mentally prepared. Education is meant for all and our duty is to promote it in areas lacking in infrastructure. Quality teachers in Chaibasa will only benefit students,” said Roy, who has the statutes applicable to varsities on his fingertips.

Roy intends to implement a rule he had enforced as the former vice chancellor of Nilamber Pitamber University to promote education among students in tribal areas. He said students of Kolhan University maintaining a 75 per cent attendance would be certified by their department heads or the college principal to get an annual allowance of Rs 1,500 for buying study material.

“A VC has to be innovative. As a teacher, I need to find ways to promote education among the less privileged, since everybody has a right to equal opportunities,” added Roy, who was on his way back from Chaibasa.

The vice chancellor said he would find out how colleges lacking in infrastructure had been granted affiliation to the varsity.

If found flawed, he would write a letter to the state human resource development department giving details of the colleges so that it could take a final call on whether to retain their affiliation.

“Students will be my first priority, since they are the main stakeholders in any institution, followed by teachers and staff members,” Roy said.

Roy also promised clearance of the financial dues of retired employees within a month of their date of retirement, provided there furnished concrete documents.

“I have been running from pillar to post for my pension for the past 11 months, but I got the clearance in a couple of days after the VC has come. His appointment has been a boon to everyone of us,” said Kokila Sundaram, a retired faculty member of the mathematics department of Jamshedpur Women’s College.