Journalism of Courage
The Pune University administration has drawn criticism for violating its own guidelines,while giving away the best college award in the urban area for the year 2012-13 to a local institute that had won an award in the same category four years ago.
As per university norms,the college that has received an award is not eligible to re-apply until a period of at least 10 years.
In order to mark its foundation day each year,the university presents awards in a separate category to either professional colleges (Engineering,Management,Architecture,Pharmacy,Law,Education and Physical Education); senior colleges imparting Arts,Science and Commerce education or university teaching departments.
The college in question was adjudged winner for the first prize in the second category in 2012-13,despite the fact that it had won the second prize in the same category in 2008-9.
The first prize consisted of Rs 1.5 lakh cash,a memento and a certificate,while the second had a similar composition except prize money being Rs 1 lakh.
It is nothing but fixing of university awards. Once received,the award proves like unique selling point (USP) for the college to attract students as well as draw funding from panels like UGC, said Pravin Ransure,leader of Dalit Comrade Organisation Pravin Ransure,who brought the issue into the limelight.
Demanding inquiry against the panel that had chosen the awardees for university foundation awards 2012-13,Ransure said the concerned college be stripped off the honour bestowed on it.
When contacted,the universitys deputy registrar (planning and development section) S J Bokephode said proposals from only three colleges were received by the university for best college award in urban area for year 2012-13,out of which one got disqualified after scrutiny. Of the two remaining colleges in the race for the award,one had got the best college award recently. Therefore,one college had to be selected for honour anyhow based on merit, he told Newsline on Monday.
Bokephode said an independent panel constituted by the university,led by former Shivaji University,Kolhapur vice-chancellor M G Takwale was responsible for taking the final call on university foundation awards 2012-13,and university administration had no intervention in it.
It is understood that there is need to change the existing guidelines for selecting winners of university foundation awards. And it must be done with approval from the Management Council of the University, he said,adding,We would initiate steps to this effect.
