V-Cs need Sanjay Deshmukh not visit corridors of power, says Vinod Tawde

Day after MU V-C Sanjay Deshmukh meets MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Minister says university heads should concentrate on academic work.

Sanjay Deshmukh, Raj Thackeray, Vice-Chancellor, MNS chief, Sanjay Deshmukh meets Thackeray, VC meets MNS chief, Mumbai news

(From left) MNS students wing chief Aditya Shirodkar, Sharmila Thackeray, V-C Sanjay Deshmukh, Raj Thackeray, Amit Thackeray and MU Senate member Sudhakar Tamboli. (Source: Express photo)

Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde Thursday expressed his disapproval of the move by new Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh to meet politicians, saying it was not required as the inputs needed to raise the quality of universities could be gathered without visiting the corridors of power.

Deshmukh, who took over as the V-C earlier this month, fuelled a controversy by calling on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray on Wednesday. He had defended the move saying the meeting was not political but part of a plan to seek inputs from personalities in various fields for improvement of the university. Tawde, however, said Thursday while there was no rule prohibiting any V-C from meeting any person, it would have been better if vice-chancellors across the state avoided politicians. “It is not necessary,” he told The Indian Express.

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Tawde said Deshmukh might have taken a decision to meet prominent persons to gather inputs with a good intention to improve the quality of the university, “but I believe that one can elicit all the necessary information or academic excellence without visiting the corridors of power”.

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Tawde had said in the past too that it was not the business of vice-chancellors to meet bureaucrats, ministers and politicians and he would prefer if they concentrated on academic work. Shortly after taking charge as education minister eight months ago, he had directed all the vice-chancellors not to visit Mantralaya, the Maharashtra government’s headquarters.

After his meeting with Raj Thackeray, Deshmukh had announced that he would soon call on Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray too. Deshmukh was appointed as V-C on July 7, 2015, replacing Dr Rajan Welukar.

Tawde said, “I believe even Dr Rajan Welukar used to meet people and network across sections, including politicians. In that sense, what Deshmukh has done is not unusual. My appeal to vice-chancellors is that they should not come to Mantralaya. If there are any issues that needs to be discussed or require government intervention, it could be conveyed. I would be more than willing to visit the universities concerned and attend to the issues along with officials.”

Deshmukh defended his meeting with the MNS leader, saying his intention should not be questioned. “I have no personal interest and I have not violated any conduct or diminished my position. I am only trying to help my university grow and benefit from all the alumni,” he told The Indian Express Thursday.

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“Should I be following a political hierarchy? I am to meet Udhavji on Saturday but have met him (Raj Thackeray) before that. He (Raj) is not even in power. There is no reason I should not meet anyone. I am not giving ‘no comment responses’, there is nothing to hide,” he added.

Calling himself an “open and transparent” vice-chancellor, Deshmukh said, “Earlier, people have done this (met those) having political links. I have met six ministers and even the chairman and the MD of the Excel Group earlier this week. I am looking for a corpus for the university. Give me some time and you will see results.”

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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