How do you feel taking up the job of Utkal University vice-chancellor leaving a lucrative career at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)?

Honestly, it was not a well-settled plan to join Utkal University. I saw an advertisement that the university is looking for a VC. Many of my friends rang me up to say that this time, the chancellor’s office was going to select a VC purely on the basis of merit. I applied and forgot about it. One day, I got a call to appear for the interview. I presented my paper and got selected. I have come here with a mind to do something for my alma mater. The current tenure of a VC is 36 months. Two months have already gone by. If I can be able to contribute something in the next 34 months, I will be very happy. I will not even opt for a second term.

Do you have any specific plan for the university?

(Pauses) When I was in BARC, I had got opportunities to work with various scientific funding agencies. But I had never found Utkal University anywhere in their list. I came across a number of students from this university working with organisations such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). All of them were brilliant. Since that day, I had thought of strengthening research-based activities at Utkal if I got a chance to serve. The research activities will be of experimental nature. Here, the students are extremely good in theory. If they get an exposure to research-based activities, they will excel everywhere.

You have been at the helm of affairs for the past two months. What are the areas that need to be looked into?

(Smiles) After I joined, my vision got modified seeing the terrible infrastructure and severe manpower crunch. Now, my focus is on to build infrastructure and improve the existing staff strength. We have 129 teaching staff members against a sanctioned strength of 350 and a vacancy of 519 non-teaching staff. The government has assured us to fill up the teaching vacancies on a priority basis. After some rationalisation is done on the exact requirement of non-teaching employees, the vacancies will also be filled up. Later, emphasis will be on digitisation of various works. We are almost 10 years behind in development as compared to other leading universities. But, we will catch up shortly.

What are your specific proposals on infrastructure development?

The condition of the boys’ hostels is terrible. We will go for major renovation and repair of these hostels, so that the students can stay comfortably. We have 12 hostels now. We have planned to add another girls’ hostel. The government has sanctioned Rs 19 crore for the purpose. Besides, we will go for renovation of the Parija Library. An iconic statue of Dr Prananath Parija will be built. The library will be modern and digitised. The physically challenged also can take advantage of it, and we will also make it Braille-friendly.

Won’t you agree that the standard of teaching at Utkal University has deteriorated?

(Pauses) I will tell you something. I have emotional attachment with this institution. Utkal University is my university. May be there is some deterioration. But can you abandon your mother when she is old and sick? Can you abandon your child if he or she has gone awry? I have come here with a commitment. If I can bring in some positive changes, it will be a great achievement for me.

How will things improve when the university does not have the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) approval?

I am aware of it. NAAC’s validation of the university expired in 2009. In order to get a NAAC approval, we have to work on various aspects such as strengthening the knowledge delivery system, including teaching and learning tools, proper examination system followed by the right sort of evaluation, improving e-governance and research and development activities, expansion of the extension services of the varsity as no institution can sit in isolation, and last, proper internal quality assessment. In the first two years, we will work in this regard and in the third year, we will invite NAAC for inspection.

The number of students from Odisha, particularly from Utkal University, qualifying the civil services exams has come down drastically over the years. Does this not bother you? What steps are you taking in this regard?

Times are changing. Preparation to get into the all-India service has been become very systematic. Now, the university students have no access to it. Besides, we have to work towards the overall personality development of a student. For this, we have to focus on developing his speaking skills in English, personality and presentation. The government is also aware of it. We are preparing a plan which includes preparing short-term courses for competitive examinations.

Earlier, the university authorities had announced to set up an engineering college on the campus. They also had an ambitious plan to start a medical college. Have these plans been shelved or is work on in this direction?

There is no plan at this moment. We have Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), which is competent enough to manage the engineering colleges. Why should we get into an area in which we don’t have the expertise and also not suitable for us.

The students’ union election is approaching. How do you cope with the politics of the university?

(Smiles) I am learning. In BARC, one stays as a student throughout his life and continues to learn. Now, I am learning on how to manage with people. If you work with a positive mindset and sincerity, you will be able to build up a team. Along with that team, you will be able take up various activities. On the part of students’ union election, I have delegated all powers to the chairman of the postgraduation council to ensure that there is a free and fair election.

An audit report of the accountant general (AG) of Odisha has exposed financial irregularities in the university. What is your take?

The AG’s objection to certain things is correct. They have raised questions related to the self-financing courses. I have asked for explanation from the officials concerned. We will review modalities of all self-financing courses.

A number of private universities are coming to Odisha, Do you think that this 70-year-old university can compete with them? They even have their own campus recruitments.

We have a rich heritage and we will survive. We are catering to the needs of the poor and the bright students. For campus recruitment, we are planning to open a separate placement centre where we can invite industrial houses and provide the perfect platform to our students to interact with them. Our placement record is good, but we still have to work a lot in this sphere.

Academic of repute

Coming from a humble background 61-year-old Das has been a brilliant student throughout his career

He did his matriculation from Ravenshaw Collegiate School and graduation from Ravenshaw College

He got admitted into the physics postgraduation course in Utkal University, but just before finishing the course, he dropped out and moved to BARC for higher studies

He had worked at BARC for nearly 41 years as a scientist before taking the reins of Utkal University

What would you have been had you not been an academician?

As a child, I had no specific plan. I belong to a lower-middle class family and I studied hard, so that I could do well in life. Later, I was attracted to physics. Had I not been an academician, I would have probably been a doctor. But in my student days, I could not qualify for the MBBS examination, because I was eight months short of the minimum age required when I wanted to do it. Later, I pursued my degree in physics and then moved on to become a scientist in BARC. If given a choice today, I will prefer to become a cook! It is very satisfying to feed people