NAGPUR, OCT 29: "Political expediency rules the appointment of vice-chancellors, principals, heads of departments, teachers and staff. Then, they are blamed for not being able to perform their jobs," lamented noted educationist and former chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Armaity Desai.She was delivering the convocational address at the 86th convocation of Nagpur University at Dr Vasantrao Deshpande hall on Thursday morning. Governor of Maharashtra and Chancellor Dr P C Alexander presided over the ceremony and awarded the degrees while Vice Chancellor J S Saharia gave away the medals and prizes.Prof Desai said, the vice-chancellor who is the standard bearer of the university needs to possess a blend of leadership qualities, academic capacities and administrative experience to be able to have a vision for the development of the academic programme.Similarly, she said, college principals, heads of departments and the large body of teachers and other staff must be appointed through "fair and transparent processes", and must have the desired qualities."Unfortunately, out universities and educational institutions are often affected by political expediency rather than requirements for the job. Then they are blamed for not being able to perform their job."It is time, she urged, that the problems created by political intervention on the campus are recognised and action taken by the university community, the political parties and the government.Her observations rang true in the packed Deshpande hall as people have seen the 75-year-old Nagpur University pass through its worst crisis in recent days. As a fallout of the degrees, marklists and revaluation scam police had arrested a vice-principal and a principal of two private engineering colleges directly or indirectly run by politicians. It was reported that politicians who run professional institutions had a hand in the appointment of the vice-chancellor who has had to resign after the scam surfaced.Principals, teachers and even students have been known to act as agents of their politician masters in corrupting the university system with huge amounts of money.Prof Desai went on to decry the "external political controls on student bodies, teachers' bodies and other staff (which) have often led to political posturing on the campus for ends which have least to do with education."Associations, she said, do have a utility on the campus. However, active allegiance to specific political groups and ideology leads to internal group conflicts which often result from toeing the party line. She felt there are no long term gains to be had from such political affiliation.Nagpur University observers can recall countless incidents when academics took a back seat as teachers, planners and members of various bodies were divided along the lines of political or caste ideologies. Elections to these academic bodies are fought on the basis of such ideologies and favours or revenge taken accordingly.Prof Desai also lamented the "massification" of education. It tries to churn out clones - identical products supposedly capable of similar, if not the same, knowledge and thought processes. There is little of thinking and more of memorising and regurgitation.
