The University of Calicut is on a reform path. The campus of the largest university in the State has been in the news in recent weeks for reasons positive and negative.
But nothing seems to have affected the determination of those who manage the show at the university.
Vice-Chancellor M. Abdul Salam is out to retrieve the lost glory of the campus by enhancing the quality of the institution.
A section of employees, however, are on an agitation, claiming that they have been denied justice.
But the claims and counter-claims steeped in politics apart, the university has been bursting at the seams.
Court intervention
The Kerala High Court had to intervene a few times in recent weeks, first directing the university to publish the results of re-evaluation within 45 days and later stopping employees and students from agitating within 200 metres of the university buildings.
Politics has adversely affected the functioning of the campus.
Five employees have been suspended — one for allegedly trying to assault the Vice-Chancellor and the others for attacking their colleagues belonging to a rival union.
The resistance from a section of employees led the Vice-Chancellor to approach the High Court seeking sufficient police protection.
The High Court judgment, banning strikes and agitations at the university buildings and directing the police to intervene effectively for the smooth functioning of the campus, has been viewed as a milestone in the history of the university. The Vice-Chancellor looks ebullient and energised to carry on with the reforms he has initiated.
Dr. Salam believes that more than human power, the power of technology can be harnessed to enhance the quality of the institution and transform the face of the university.
He has introduced e-governance on the campus — first time in any university in the State. With the technical support given by Keltron, all files at the university will soon be e-tracked. The e-governance system, being implemented at a cost of nearly Rs.5 crore, is expected to bring back transparency in the flow of files and prevent missing of files. With allegations of “file sinking” gaining frequency in recent times, the e-tracking system is expected to be a remedy.
e-governance project
Minister for Industries and Information Technology P.K. Kunhalikutty launched the e-governance project in January. Nearly 600 computers are being installed in phases, and all employees are going to get training in their use. “We will know the number of files each employee handles, and we will know who is responsible for delaying the files,” Dr. Salam said.
All payments at the university will soon go online. Discussions are currently on with the management of the State Bank of Travancore (SBT) for introducing online payment of fees. Students will soon get individual logins not only to remit their fees but also to know their registration status. According to Dr. Salam, students should not be allowed to suffer. “They should experience comfort. Let them not be given the run around for their certificates, which should be delivered to them online,” Dr. Salam said.
For the first time, the university has appointed a liaison officer in New Delhi. Aswathi Padmasenan, a Ph.D. scholar at Delhi University, will liaise with the University Grants Commission and other Central bodies and agencies. The university is eyeing a good share of the 12th Five Year Plan funds.
New department
It has begun a move to set up a department of energy, with special emphasis on non-conventional energy sources such as solar energy. Efforts are on to emulate Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in harnessing solar energy in a big way.
The university is giving shape to a department exclusively for community services, and an exclusive Directorate of Research and Planning. Both wings are expected to be born in a couple of months. “All great universities have independent directorates of research. We will soon have one leading the entire research domain of the university,” Dr. Salam said.
The Directorate of Research and Planning will coordinate projects submitted by various departments, forward the proposals to higher supervisory bodies, follow them up, get sanction for the projects, get funding, monitor development, help the researcher publish the results and quantify the research contributions, among other things.
The university says the Directorate of Research and Planning will be ready in two months. Video cameras have been installed at several places at the Administrative Block as part of instilling efficiency among the employees. The Vice-Chancellor can monitor the activities taking place in the main corridors of the building.
Security is being enhanced — almost doubled — and modernised as part of ensuring that no one dares to torpedo the new system. Employees are getting training in the new system. One should not be surprised if frisked on entering any key building of the university in future. The High Court has directed the police to search the employees and others entering the campus, if required, as part of ensuring that “nobody carries sticks and other weapons to the university campus.”
