It is unbelievable that double damage is being done for excellent researchers in most of the Universities. Firstly, parameters for quality measurement of research in science and allied subjects are globally well established. However, possibly in one university only the best research papers, based on Impact Factor, are displayed in the library in descending order of their quality. Secondly, in other subjects, we have not even started laying down globally or widely accepted parameters for quality measurement in research.

During the sixties, when youth in the European universities was in turmoil, a delegation from the US came to Oxford University, met the Vice-Chancellor, and asked him two interesting questions.

Their first question was how the university was being run. The Vice-Chancellor said that he was not running the University . Oxford University was being run on traditions. The delegation asked the second question about how their lawns were so beautiful. The Vice-Chancellor replied “800 years of rolling and mowing.’

We often get pleasure in attacking some of our Vice-Chancellors. However, we rarely recollect that most of them had done at least a few good things. Often a shade of envy or disinterest prompts the new Vice-Chancellor to ignore or undo the good decisions taken by his predecessors.

As a result, traditions are not laid down.

There was only one Governor-Chancellor in India, Dr K.M.Munshi, who started an excellent programme of holding a Chancellor’s camp for the best students at the universities, who were allowed to interact with our best brains from all over. Their lectures were published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Mumbai. Why can’t we continue such an excellent programme in all states of India?

Our libraries are still being run with primitive methods. Most of our librarians hold a degree in Library and Information science. However, we have yet to adopt the basic principles of information science: Usage of keywords for retrieval of required text from at least the best books.

Professor G Ram Reddy, the then Chairman of the UGC laid down the foundation stone of the Centre for Information Science Technology at Bareilly instead of the usual central library; and publicly announced that the same practice should be followed in every University in India. However, the pioneering effort was stalled later. If our brilliant Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s idea of enhancing globally valid quality intensive knowledge flow in our Universities has to be started, this is the first minimal step that should be taken without delay.

We are living in an age when there is a huge production of new knowledge globally. However, our demand and consumption for it are generally very low. Let us remember that when Ernest Hemingway published his famous book, “Old Man and the Sea” in 1952, five million copies were sold in just two days. Our reading habits are generally poor. Our videosphere dominates over graphosphere, although we worship Mother Saraswati, holding a book in her hand.

I wish that our Vice-Chancellors may continue their efforts to bask in the public limelight, but allow at least some of their best students and researchers also to be adequately and regularly projected.

By: Prof Bhoomittra Dev
[email protected]

Prof. Dev has had a long and throughout First-Class career as a student and as an academician. In the course of his education, he was the Chancellor’s Gold medalist and as an academician, he has served as the Vice-Chancellor of Gorakhpur University, Rohilkhand University Bareilly, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University Agra, and Mangalayatan University Aligarh. He is the author of several books, including “Happiness in the Knowledge Century”. He is credited to having solved an international controversy Between the U.S.A. and Germany pertaining to the functioning of the Kidney. He presently lives in Lucknow and travels across the country for academic seminars.

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