Gandhi fuels agri, industry debate

Kolkata, December 7
GOVERNOR GOPAL Krishna Gandhi might have fuelled yet another spate of controversy. Gandhi, who has been critical of the Left Front government’s policy of forcible land acquisition for industrialisation, refuted the pro-industry belief of the state government on Friday.
What could be his most scathing criticism of the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government, he denied the prevalent thought that industry not agriculture holds the key to the nation’s future. He was talking at a seminar organised by the Indian Society for Soil Sciences at the Indian Glass and Ceramics Research Institute.
“We all know Ramkrishna Paramhansa said ‘taka mati, mati taka’ (wealth is synonymous to land and vice versa). However, we should not misinterpret this and regard soil as fixed deposit, which could be enchased for the use of capital. I am all for industry and capital but industry and capital should not look readily upon soil as an encashable asset, to be put into the profit graph of private capital,” he stated.

According to sources, Gandhi said while soil was very important, the government needed to understand its significance and then decide whether to set up industry or give it away for agricultural purpose. Maintaining his tone, the Governor further said the deciding factor behind converting agricultural land for industrial purposes should be left on the fertility of the soil and not on margin of profit.
“Our natural balance of land should be maintained. Due to topographical reason, North Bengal is prone to landslides. In such a scenario, the plains are important for agricultural,” he said. Gandhi pointed out that it was as bad as trying to irrigate the deserts of Rajasthan for cultivation.
Sources informed that Gandhi also questioned SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and felt that these should not be allowed to come up just anywhere.
Although no media persons were invited for the seminar, contents of the Governor’s speech trickled out. Sources believe the speech is likely to bite the Left Front government hard enough and Gandhi would continue to be an eye sore, both for the administration and CPI(M).
Although the Governor has been critical of the steps taken by the sate government and its industrial policies ever since forcible acquisition of land at Singur, Gandhi gave vent to his angst and desperation in a statement following the police firing on peaceful demonstrators at Nandigram on March 14. Although he did not criticise the state government directly, he has often implied that he did not have faith in Bhattacharjee and his government. Recently, he further proved his lack of confidence in the government and Bhattacharjee when he met Marxist patriarch and former chief minister Jyoti Basu, requesting him to appeal for peace at Nandigram.
letters@hindusantimes.com

State aspirants in a fix over admission in BESU

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 7
Students are confused about the admission process with Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Shibpur scheduled to start operating as an Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST) from the 2008 academic session.
According to talks between the Centre and the state government, 50 per cent seats would be reserved for students from Bengal. But the confusion amongst students from the state is whether admission will be through the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) or the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE).
Neither the university nor the higher education department is fully aware of the arrangement. As per the agreement with the state, BESU was to admit students under the state quota through WBJEE, while the remaining were supposed to be filled through AIEEE.
However, Arjun Singh, minister of human resource development had informed BESU vice-chancellor N.R. Banerjea and a team of MPs and BESU officials on Thursday that he would be sending a letter to state chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb next week stating that BESU would work as an IIEST from the 2008-2009 academic session. He also informed that admission would be through AIEEE, including students from the state.
Afterwards, a BESU official had informed Hindustan Times from Delhi that, “For the time being it seems that MHRD wants admission to be through AIEEE. But we would be sure about it only after the official letter is sent.”
But if BESU has to pull out from WBJEE, the structure as well as the address of the JEE board will have to be changed. Till date the institute has acted as the anchor of the WBJEE board. According to practice, the BESU vice-chancellor is the chairman of WBJEE and its office is also located on BESU campus.
The WBJEE office may have to be shifted to Jadavpur University’s (JU) Salt Lake campus and a new chairman appointed. “We really do not know if such a situation will at all arise. Till date, institutions have joined the WBJEE board but no one has left. Only after the letter arrives from the Central government will the situation become clear,” said Bidyut Bhattacharya, member secretary of JEE board.
Currently the WBJEE application bulletin states that 50 per cent of BESU’s total 360 seats will be filled up through WBJEE and that aspirants will have to submit their domicile certificate with the application form. If BESU has to pull out of WBJEE, the board will put up a notice in this regard in the newspapers and inform candidates, informed Bhattacharya.
This means that it would be wise for candidates wanting admission in BESU in 2008 to fill up both the AIEEE and WBJEE examination forms. The application form for both the exams will be available till January 5, 2008. While WBJEE will be held on April 20, 2008, AIEEE will be held on April 27.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

Shibpur BE University at par with IITs

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 6
IT’S OFFICIAL: Bengal Engineering and Science University will become a central university from next year. It will be the first IIEST, or Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, at par with the IITs.
It was perfect birthday gift in the university’s 150th year. The elevation gives BESU a victory in its competition with Jadavpur University, the state’s other pride in terms of engineering education.
The Centre will inform the state of the decision in writing next week. HRD minister Arjun Singh, however, gave the assurance on Thursday, when he met university officials and state MPs in Delhi.
“It was decided to elevate BESU to the status of an Institute of National Importance (INI) from 2008-09. It will be called IIEST-Shibpur,” said V-C N.R. Banerjea.
An amendment to the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Act will introduce a special schedule to enable the elevation. “That doesn’t mean we will become an NIT,” the V-C clarified. Invocation of the NIT Act is a temporary step; an IIEST Act will be set up as more such institutes come up.
The new breed of institutes will serve two purposes. They will not only hold their own against IITs, but also save the government the cost of setting up new IITs. Others lined up for elevation include Osmania University and BHU’s Institute of Technology.
Students will be admitted through an all-India entrance. BESU will reserve half its seats for West Bengal students. Governance will be shared as per an agreement with the state.
Higher education minister Sudarshan Roy Chowdhury welcomed the elevation. “If the Centre has given the state what it sought, we are happy. I only wonder why they delayed it,” he said.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

FACE-OFF

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 6
THIS TOO had to happen in Kolkata. For over five months, Rabindranath Tagore faced a short of identity crisis at the Calcutta University (CU). Though the problem seemed to have ended after the universities authorities dismantled a poorly made bronze statue of the Nobel laureate, it has undoubtedly sparked a major row.
The statue was installed on the poet’s birthday this year by the Bengali department’s alumni association. But the statue looked more like Jharkhand Mukhti Morcha chief Shibu Soren than Tagore. Placed bang opposite the Darbhanga Building on the varsity’s College Street campus, the statue became a centre of discussion for its shocking looks. Following criticism of the statue from various quarters, the university finally dismantled it on December 1.
But Ashok Kundu, general secretary of CU Bengali Department Alumni Association, is angry for the treatment meted out to the statue. “We are shocked to see that the university removed the statue without even bothering to inform us. Tagore had once taught in this university for two years and there was no statue of his here. The manner in which the statue has been uprooted has been an insult to us and Tagore lovers,” he said.
The alumni association alleged that vice-chancellor Ashish Banerjee had refused to explain the move. Talking to Hindustan Times Banerjee, however, clarified: “Many people had complained that the statue did not look like Tagore. Even many syndicate members held the same opinion, so we have removed it. We will soon replace it with another Tagore’s statue.”
But the alumni association is not ready to buy the argument. They say the statue was crafted based on a photograph of Tagore taken during his Nobel prize felicitation lecture at CU. The picture was clicked by Bourne & Shepherd, one of the oldest photo studios in the world, and was published in the special edition of the Kolkata Gazette. Renowned sculptor Sunil Pal had overseen the casting of the statue.
“There cannot be any controversy with the look of the statue. The fibre cast was shown to the vice-chancellor and only after he gave the green signal the statue was cast in bronze,” said Kundu.
“At statue unveiling ceremony, transport minister Subhash Chakraborty was present along with many other luminaries and university officials. No one had found anything wrong with it,” he added.
On December 9 the alumni association will register its protest at its annual meeting. “We will launch a signature campaign. Luminaries like Sankha Ghosh, Samaresh Mazumdar, Amlan Dutta and Mahasweta Devi will write about it and the booklets will be distributed to the public,” Kundu said.
After the eight-feet tall statue was brought down, university officials have placed flowerpots in the area. The statue was made at a cost of Rs 8 lakh, which included funds from various alumni and government.
“We will approach chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who was a student of Bengali, and governor-chancellor Gopal Krishna Gandhi on the issue,” Kundu added.
Writer Sankhya Ghosh feels hurt by the incident. “I personally do not believe that a personality can be respected through statues. But when one was put up in the university it could not have been done with official nod. If the university has dismantled the statue without informing the people behind it, l feel it is wrong.”
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

Drama classes to make IIMC students better managers

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 5
Now Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) students will study dramatics to become better managers. It has been incorporated as part of their optional papaer in strategic management curriculum and the B-school has invited famous theatre group Nandikar to conduct classes.
The Dramatics Society of IIMC has already conducted two workshops with Nandikar for theatre enthusiasts on campus but it was hitherto unrelated to their curriculum. It was during the workshops that Prof Shekhar Chaudhuri, director of IIMC, expressed his desire to incorporate the theatre group’s teaching within the curriculum. “We have invited Nandikar to take two sessions of a module on strategic management. If they accept it then we would like them to take the classes in January next year,” said Bishwatosh Saha, faculty of strategic management at IIMC.
Explaining why a theatre group would be asked to conduct management classes, Saha who is a theatre enthusiast himself, said, “Everything cannot be taught with the help of chalk and paper and this is where Nandikar would come in. Among various other things, the skills of a theatre artiste can help a student become a better negotiator.”
The Nandikar group, which boasts of stalwarts such as Rudraprasad Sengupta, Goutam Halder, Debshanker Halder and Swatilekha Sengupta, is ready to accept the proposal. “Yes, we have received the proposal from IIMC and would definitely accept it. We will send them an official reply accepting the offer soon. There are a lot of things that management students can learn from theatre and we would love to be of help,” said Rudraprasad, the front man of Nandikar.
According to IIMC instructors, management is all about understanding people, getting into their heads and then empathising with them to take both the organisation and the individual forward. Expressed thus, one comes to understand why management can find parallels with theatre. The pauses between sentences when one performs on stage are like conversations one has at the workplace.
Communication, that is so vital to employees, is the fulcrum around which theatre revolves. And it isn’t restricted to the spoken word alone. Its about that stare the actor gives his co-actor, similar to what one would get from his boss, if he were to slack off. It is about articulating oneself to perfection, which would define organisational communication to a tee. And it’s also about being bold or even fearless at times, which is what theatre is all about. More critical aspects of theatre like rhythm of speech and body language would teach students on how it influences little things like even the way we walk. “Theatrical skills can be used in the boardroom as well as in life. If everything goes well, we are planning to make it a permanent fixture in the course,” said Anindya Sen, dean of program and research initiative of IIMC.
Though course details will be finalised once IIMC receives confirmation from Nandikar, topics like voice modulation, situational analysis and conflict negotiation will be part of the class Students would understand their own body and how it works synchronously with the brain, to enhance their power of understanding and react to situations in a better way, a must for managers.
Students are already elated with the prospect of Nandikar conducting classes. “We wanted it to be incorporated in our syllabus and even our director was keen. We are happy that it is finally happening,” said Shipra Sinha, head of the dramatics cell.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

Quality control course at ISI

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 2
To celebrate its Platinum Jubilee, the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is introducing a first- of-its-kind course on statistical quality control.
Till date, ISI had largely focused on research and the courses offered were also aimed at producing quality researchers. But for the first time, the institute has come up with a course, which will mainly cater to producing a quality workforce for the industry. “Our objective cannot be only to produce researchers for ourselves. Now science has become globalised and we should reach out to the rest of the world by delivering a workforce in a very important area of statistics, which is quality control. Statistical quality control is equally important for the government as well as industry. The area is vast and manpower is less and the course will look to bridge the gap,” said Sankar K Pal, director of the institute.
Till now, ISI offered a six-month programme, statistical development programme, for MStat students, who were then absorbed by the institute to work on statistical data generated for research. But this new course of two years’ duration will have a wider outlook. Apart from MStat students, those with an MTech degree or MSc in physics or mathematics could also apply. “We are currently designing the course content and will be able to offer the programme from the 2008-09 academic session. Hand-picked students from India and aboard will be able to enrol in the programme,” said Pal.
The institute already offers PhD programmes in statistics, mathematics, quantitative economics and computer science, but for the first time it will offer PhDs in statistical quality control also from the 2008-09 academic session. “We have added statistical quality control to the list because this subject is allied towards engineering and is an emerging area,” the institute director said. Apart from students of statistics and those from basic sciences, engineers will be encouraged to take up the PhD programme.
In an age when basic sciences is a lesser attraction for students compared to engineering, the statistical quality control programme can promise the former a lucrative career. “It is true that students no longer want to plunge into the depths of basic science. But then we cannot blame them, as there are almost no lucrative career options. Hence it is the responsibility of institutions to create interesting courses to make the study of basic sciences more attractive,” added Pal.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

Seventh IIM foundation stone to be laid at Shillong

Slug: IIM

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, November 30

Union Minister of Human Resource Development Arjun Singh will lay the foundation stone of the seventh Indian Institute of Management (IIM) of the country in Shillong on December 1.
This new IIM will be called Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RG-IIM) and will aim towards imparting quality management education in the North East. It will be the seventh IIM in the country, the other six being at Ahmedabad, Banglore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode.
RG-IIM will start admitting students from 2008-2009 academic session with an annual student intake of 60 in the first year, which will be subsequently increased to 120 in the third year and 180 in the sixth year. RG-IIM will offer Post-graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM), Fellowship Programme in Management (FPM) and Management Development Programmes (MDPs). Besides these RG-IIM also plans to focus on courses like tourism and hospitality management, Management of tele-services and telemedicine, Management of information systems and technology, Subjects of local relevance such as tourism, horticulture and hydel power.
The Government of Meghalaya has provided land of about 120 acres, free of cost for permanent campus of RGIIM at Shillong. Till the permanent campus is constructed, the Institute will function in the temporary accommodation at Mayurbhanj Palace, which has been renovated by the State Government for the purpose.
Rathindra Nath Datta, Chairman of Pricewaterhouse Cooper India, has been appointed the Chairman of the Board of Governors of RG-IIM, Shillong. While the Director is yet to be appointed, Ashok Kumar Dutta, the current director of Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Kolkata is tipped to be the first Director of RG-IIM, Shillong. The mission of RG-IIM will be to create an institution of excellence having a national character while also considering the needs and aspirations of the people of the region.The faculty of RG-IIM will be at per with the other six IIMs in the country. The central government feels that RG-IIM will be yet another milestone in the development of higher and technical education in the region. And by providing impetus to the progress of this beautiful yet backward region of North East, it would help the government to take a step forward towards fulfilling one of its prime agenda of promoting a balanced development in the country.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com

Varsity defers semester test

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, November 30
The West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) has deferred its first semester exam until further notice. Though the varsity has not come up with an explanation, sources in the state higher education department pointed out that many private engineering colleges have misused the management quota and admitted students beyond the permissible number. The university however has denied any botch-up.
While the higher education department is likely to ask WBUT vice-chancellor A. R. Thakur the reasons behind deferring the examination, around 25,000 students would be affected. “Due to some unavoidable circumstances we are deferring the exam. Our academic council will convene next week to announce the alternative dates and we will ensure that the exam is conducted at the earliest,” WBUT registrar S.R. Islam said.
This was the first year when the state government had allowed private engineering colleges to admit 10 per cent of its students under management quota directly, instead of taking them through centralised counselling. The rider, however, was that all students taking admission under management quota would have to be in the merit list of the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE).
This year, WBJEE had published a merit list of 45,000 students, all of whom were given rank cards. According to WBUT rules, students applying for registration under the university would also have to submit their rank cards as proof that they featured in the WBJEE merit list.
University sources said there were problems over issuing registration numbers to students due to the unavailability of their rank cards. This resulted in rescheduling of the first semester examination, although the third, fifth and seventh exams would be held as per schedule. According to sources, the problem with registration has cropped up in computer science, information technology and electronics.
Earlier this week, the heads of some private engineering colleges informed the higher education department that they had admitted excess students this year. However, they had requested the government to allow these students to sit for the exams. According to the rule, all private engineering colleges in the state have to send a list of the candidates admitted along with their ranks in WBJEE to the West Bengal University of Technology. Now questions are being raised if the varsity failed to check the admission of illegal candidates.
Even the SFI has been stressing on transparency in the admission process, followed by private engineering colleges. “We have repeatedly urged the university to publish the list of candidates admitted in the private engineering colleges along with their ranks in WBJEE. If that is done then the admission process in the management quota would become clear,” SFI state president Sudip Sengupta said.
While there are allegations that some of the private engineering colleges might have admitted students who did not qualify in WBJEE under the management quota, many students have complained to the student body that these colleges have denied 10 percent of its needy students half fee waiver and five percent students full fee waiver as fixed by the state government, while introducing 10 percent management quota.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com