Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, December 31, 2007
Budding managers across the country are vying with each other to prepare a business model for the state to help it attract more investment and upgrade its economy.
Students of IIMC, IIM Ahmedabad; XLRI Jamshedpur and Faculty of Management Studies New Delhi are preparing the Blueprint, as it is being called, as part of Intaglio 2007, the business management fest of IIMC. Over 3,000 management students from universities across the world including Harvard, Yale, Wharton and MIT will take part in the three-day fest, which will begin from January 5. The fest will end with a lecture by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, followed by an interaction with students. The online version of the event has already begun.
“We are calling the business model Blueprint and we will present it to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee so that he can put it into use,” said Pritvijit Lahiri, a second-year student of IIMC and co-ordinator of Intaglio 2007.
As of now, six teams of three members each are working on their business models. “Venture capitalists and big business bosses will judge the six models in the presence of representatives from the industry. The best model will get an award of Rs 1 lakh and the business model will be handed over to the chief minister on January 7,” said Saugata Ray, professor of strategy and international Business at IIMC and faculty coordinator of the event.
“We are trying to see how we can contribute to the growth of a state whose chief minister is willing to bring in as much investment as possible. This is an initiative made by management students from across the country shortlisted from 50 teams,” Lahiri said.
The students are being helped in their job by Feedback Ventures, an infrastructure consultancy firm. Thrust is being laid on ideas to attract foreign investment and national and multinational companies to Bengal by creating special economic zones in IT, agro-based food processing industry, apparel industry, automobile industry, pharmaceutical industry and the gem and jewellery sector. “The students are trying to create a business model keeping in mind the export potential, risk factor, infrastructure and benefits to surrounding areas as well as other industries,” Ray said.
“The problem over land acquisition in Singur is definitely a point that the students are keeping in mind while framing their plans,” said professor Anindo Sen, academic affairs of IIMC. The six teams, he said, are very excited about the models they are preparing. They are also looking forward to interacting with the chief minister about the investment scenario in Bengal.
Apart from the Rs 1 lakh award for Blueprint, Intaglio 2007 will see prizes worth Rs 12 lakh given away to the winners of five online events, six semi-online events and nine campus events. “Our fest got the ISO 9001 certificate last year. And this time we will take it a step ahead by making a concrete contribution towards the business development of the state,” Lahiri said.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Flying robots hijack IIT Kharagpur
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 30, 2007
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a flying robot! If you have never seen such a machine before, you may soon notice one whiz above you. Students of IIT Kharagpur and those of other well-known engineering colleges will now learn the art (or, should we say, science) of making radio-controlled birds.
The biggest attraction of Kshitij’07, the annual 4-day techno-management fest of IIT-Kharagpur that is starting from February 1, is a workshop on ornithopters — flapping-wing flying robots, the latest in man’s unending fascination with artificial flight, and one of the hottest topics in aerodynamic research.
“The concept of ornithopters is very new in India. People here do not yet have much knowledge about the technology. If we can learn it, we will be able to do more advanced-level research,” said Sourav Khurana, an IIT-Kgp student. “Robotics forms a vital part of the fest and draws a enormous participation. But this is the first time that students will be learning to make a flying robot.”
The idea of constructing wings in imitation of birds goes back to 1490, when Leonardo da Vinci began studying birds to imitate their flight. He is even credited with having devised a small flying machine, something which experts say was a precursor to the modern helicopter.
Since ornithopters resemble flying birds, they are currently used extensively for studying the behaviour of migratory birds. They could even have a crucial role to play in gathering military intelligence — even spying in enemy territory. And since ornithopters operate by flapping wings, they offer potential advantages in manoeuvrability and energy conservation, as compared with fixed-wing aircraft.
“This radio-controlled machine can be very complicated and can have mulitiple applications loaded on it. It can record audio and could also carry an in-built camera,” said Khurana. “Some of us want to learn it to simply taste the fun of flying the robot or persuing it as a hobby. But there are other students who have serious goals with it.”
US expert Nathan Chronister will be conducting the workshop in three sages. There will be a flying demonstration of ornithopters in the open, followed by a presentation on the technical design aspects of ornithopters, at the end of which there will be a test, on the basis of which 50 participants will be selected to attend the workshop. In the third stage, a hands-on workshop will be held, where selected participants will be given kits to make rubber band-powered ornithopters.
With a budget of Rs 65 lakh, Kshitij’07 would see participation from 12,500 registered engineering students from all over the country. This year, Kshitij will also play host to around 35 technical and managerial events followed by several managerial events. Workshops will also be held on cyber law, Six Sigma and the Right to Information Act by Ramon Magsaysay winner Arvind Kejriwal.
Guest lectures will be delivered by luminaries such as Rakesh Sharma, Alyque Padamsee, Dr. K Kasturirangan, Nobel Laureates Dr Harold Kroto and Dr Lee Hartwell, living cyborg Prof Kevin Warwick and explorer Eric Larsen.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 30, 2007
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a flying robot! If you have never seen such a machine before, you may soon notice one whiz above you. Students of IIT Kharagpur and those of other well-known engineering colleges will now learn the art (or, should we say, science) of making radio-controlled birds.
The biggest attraction of Kshitij’07, the annual 4-day techno-management fest of IIT-Kharagpur that is starting from February 1, is a workshop on ornithopters — flapping-wing flying robots, the latest in man’s unending fascination with artificial flight, and one of the hottest topics in aerodynamic research.
“The concept of ornithopters is very new in India. People here do not yet have much knowledge about the technology. If we can learn it, we will be able to do more advanced-level research,” said Sourav Khurana, an IIT-Kgp student. “Robotics forms a vital part of the fest and draws a enormous participation. But this is the first time that students will be learning to make a flying robot.”
The idea of constructing wings in imitation of birds goes back to 1490, when Leonardo da Vinci began studying birds to imitate their flight. He is even credited with having devised a small flying machine, something which experts say was a precursor to the modern helicopter.
Since ornithopters resemble flying birds, they are currently used extensively for studying the behaviour of migratory birds. They could even have a crucial role to play in gathering military intelligence — even spying in enemy territory. And since ornithopters operate by flapping wings, they offer potential advantages in manoeuvrability and energy conservation, as compared with fixed-wing aircraft.
“This radio-controlled machine can be very complicated and can have mulitiple applications loaded on it. It can record audio and could also carry an in-built camera,” said Khurana. “Some of us want to learn it to simply taste the fun of flying the robot or persuing it as a hobby. But there are other students who have serious goals with it.”
US expert Nathan Chronister will be conducting the workshop in three sages. There will be a flying demonstration of ornithopters in the open, followed by a presentation on the technical design aspects of ornithopters, at the end of which there will be a test, on the basis of which 50 participants will be selected to attend the workshop. In the third stage, a hands-on workshop will be held, where selected participants will be given kits to make rubber band-powered ornithopters.
With a budget of Rs 65 lakh, Kshitij’07 would see participation from 12,500 registered engineering students from all over the country. This year, Kshitij will also play host to around 35 technical and managerial events followed by several managerial events. Workshops will also be held on cyber law, Six Sigma and the Right to Information Act by Ramon Magsaysay winner Arvind Kejriwal.
Guest lectures will be delivered by luminaries such as Rakesh Sharma, Alyque Padamsee, Dr. K Kasturirangan, Nobel Laureates Dr Harold Kroto and Dr Lee Hartwell, living cyborg Prof Kevin Warwick and explorer Eric Larsen.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Monday, January 29, 2007
CU poser for self-financing courses
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 29, 2007
In order to assess the standard of self-finance courses under it, Calcutta University (CU) on Monday has begun to send questioners to colleges. This will be followed by a surprise visit by an expert panel, set up by the university.
The expert committee will file its report by the end of February. The CU will send the report to the higher education ministry, requesting the government to decide on the tuition fee to be charged by the colleges for such courses.
The university had been receiving complaints from the students regarding various aspects of self-finance courses for months. Hindustan Times earlier reported this in December 2006.
The students under self finance-course pay a huge tuition fee compared to students under general course. Even after this, the students have been complaining that their institutions do not provide them with basic infrastructure. The chief grouse from the students is the disparity of course fee among colleges teaching the self-finance scheme. The students also complained about lack of teachers and allege that part time teachers who lack commitment complete courses.
The questioner sent by the university will ask questions like – How does one apply for a self-finance course, how many teachers have been appointed and what are the recruitment rules. Also on the questioner will be how many students apply for the course, the number of full time and part time teachers, tuition fee paid by students, standard of laboratory equipment, condition of the library and the admission process followed by the colleges. The SFI too had formally asked the university to look into the malpractices by the colleges, which offers self-finance courses.
Teachers Training Institute demand
The students of Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTTI) held a convention on Monday, urging school education minister Partha De to negotiate with the National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) to give affiliation to their institution.
About 75000 students are unable to sit for the PTTI exam because their institution has been derecognised by the High Court. The state is currently locked in a legal battle with NCTE in this regard. The students will be meeting De on February 1 and will also gherao the primary education board.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 29, 2007
In order to assess the standard of self-finance courses under it, Calcutta University (CU) on Monday has begun to send questioners to colleges. This will be followed by a surprise visit by an expert panel, set up by the university.
The expert committee will file its report by the end of February. The CU will send the report to the higher education ministry, requesting the government to decide on the tuition fee to be charged by the colleges for such courses.
The university had been receiving complaints from the students regarding various aspects of self-finance courses for months. Hindustan Times earlier reported this in December 2006.
The students under self finance-course pay a huge tuition fee compared to students under general course. Even after this, the students have been complaining that their institutions do not provide them with basic infrastructure. The chief grouse from the students is the disparity of course fee among colleges teaching the self-finance scheme. The students also complained about lack of teachers and allege that part time teachers who lack commitment complete courses.
The questioner sent by the university will ask questions like – How does one apply for a self-finance course, how many teachers have been appointed and what are the recruitment rules. Also on the questioner will be how many students apply for the course, the number of full time and part time teachers, tuition fee paid by students, standard of laboratory equipment, condition of the library and the admission process followed by the colleges. The SFI too had formally asked the university to look into the malpractices by the colleges, which offers self-finance courses.
Teachers Training Institute demand
The students of Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTTI) held a convention on Monday, urging school education minister Partha De to negotiate with the National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) to give affiliation to their institution.
About 75000 students are unable to sit for the PTTI exam because their institution has been derecognised by the High Court. The state is currently locked in a legal battle with NCTE in this regard. The students will be meeting De on February 1 and will also gherao the primary education board.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Presidency autonomy issue to be decided soon
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 28, 2007
The knot surrounding autonomy to Presidency College will be solved in March this year.
Speaking in the annual conference of West Bengal Government College Teachers’ Association (WBGCTA), higher education minister Sudarshan Roychoudhuri made it clear that the state does not want to take any decision in this regard. “We have framed a committee that is taking in opinions from all quarters on the issue of Presidency College’s autonomy. Their final meeting will take place in March, following which we will receive their recommendation. We will implement whatever they suggest,” he said.
Though a section wants Presidency to get autonomy, WBGCTA wants to convert the college into a university, with all government colleges coming under it. The committee is currently deliberating on the issue. On January 27, however, during a visit to the college, former school education minister Kanti Biswas had opposed the concept. “Many teachers here are very talented. They can be easily utilised to frame the syllabus and upgrade it. But if this college becomes a university, their scope will become limited. On the contrary, if the college is given academic and administrative autonomy, it would be able to nurture its talented pool of students and teachers in a better way,” he had said.
The alumni association of the college, however, feels that the college would be able to further improve its academic quality if it were given the status of a deemed university.
The higher education minister also expressed his dissatisfaction at the growing trend of teachers giving private tuition. “I have come to know from various quarters that teachers are giving too much time outside class. It should not happen,” he said.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 28, 2007
The knot surrounding autonomy to Presidency College will be solved in March this year.
Speaking in the annual conference of West Bengal Government College Teachers’ Association (WBGCTA), higher education minister Sudarshan Roychoudhuri made it clear that the state does not want to take any decision in this regard. “We have framed a committee that is taking in opinions from all quarters on the issue of Presidency College’s autonomy. Their final meeting will take place in March, following which we will receive their recommendation. We will implement whatever they suggest,” he said.
Though a section wants Presidency to get autonomy, WBGCTA wants to convert the college into a university, with all government colleges coming under it. The committee is currently deliberating on the issue. On January 27, however, during a visit to the college, former school education minister Kanti Biswas had opposed the concept. “Many teachers here are very talented. They can be easily utilised to frame the syllabus and upgrade it. But if this college becomes a university, their scope will become limited. On the contrary, if the college is given academic and administrative autonomy, it would be able to nurture its talented pool of students and teachers in a better way,” he had said.
The alumni association of the college, however, feels that the college would be able to further improve its academic quality if it were given the status of a deemed university.
The higher education minister also expressed his dissatisfaction at the growing trend of teachers giving private tuition. “I have come to know from various quarters that teachers are giving too much time outside class. It should not happen,” he said.mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Saturday, January 27, 2007
IIMC to introduce OBC quota in fresh admission list
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 27, 2007
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Joka, will publish a fresh list of candidates by the end of this month to accommodate 3 per cent OBC students. The general seats will also be increased proportionately.
IIM had sent a plan to the ministry stating that it would introduce the 27 per cent reservation policy three years — 3 per cent in the first year, followed by 15 per cent and 9 per cent in the next two. “Surprisingly, we have not heard anything from the ministry, so we are going ahead with our plan and implementing 3 per cent OBC seats this year. We are also increasing the general category equally, which means that 6 per cent more students will get into IIM this year,” said professor Anindya Sen, dean of programme and research initiative at IIM, Joka.
The CAT results were declared on January 2 and IIM had called all 988 students for group discussion and personal interview. Of them, 773 students were from the general category, 134 from the SC category, 60 from ST category and 21 from physically challenged category. Now, the institute will call around 50 OBC students. “We have already got the necessary clearance and of the 318 students who make it to IIM, Joka, this year, 9 to 10 will be from the OBC category. We will publish the list in our website by January 31. But if we do not find suitable candidates we may not fill up all the OBC seats,” said professor Ashish Bhattacharya, chairman, admissions of IIM, Joka, a member of CAT Group.
But the authorities and many in the faculty feel that the funds allotted by the human resources development ministry would not be enough to maintain the academic standard and infrastructure for the additional students.
The institute had asked for a Rs 139-crore non-recurring grant, Rs 7.29 crore as recurring grant besides Rs 100 crore for buying 50 acres to develop the infrastructure. But the Veerappa Moily Committee has allotted only Rs 47.5 crore for this purpose. “In the final recommendation of the Moily Committee, the money allotted for implementing the OBC quota has been drastically cut down without any explanation,” an IIM official said.
The faculty members are also worried about the funds crunch. “We will soon face serious problems. We must realise that we are dealing with the premier management institution of the country and its academic quality cannot be maintained by just increasing some classrooms and hostel accommodation. The money allotted to us will definitely not help us upgrade our infrastructure,” Sen said.
In its two-year post-graduate diploma in management programme, there is a deficit of Rs 1 lakh per student, which cannot be covered with tuition fee. And with 600 students on campus, the deficit has gone up to Rs 6 crore. “We will some manage this year but from next year it will be a big problem if the infrastructure is not suitably upgraded,” Sen said.
The institute is also not being allowed to maintain its teacher-student ratio. IIM wanted a ratio of 1:7 but the ministry suggested 1:14.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 27, 2007
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Joka, will publish a fresh list of candidates by the end of this month to accommodate 3 per cent OBC students. The general seats will also be increased proportionately.
IIM had sent a plan to the ministry stating that it would introduce the 27 per cent reservation policy three years — 3 per cent in the first year, followed by 15 per cent and 9 per cent in the next two. “Surprisingly, we have not heard anything from the ministry, so we are going ahead with our plan and implementing 3 per cent OBC seats this year. We are also increasing the general category equally, which means that 6 per cent more students will get into IIM this year,” said professor Anindya Sen, dean of programme and research initiative at IIM, Joka.
The CAT results were declared on January 2 and IIM had called all 988 students for group discussion and personal interview. Of them, 773 students were from the general category, 134 from the SC category, 60 from ST category and 21 from physically challenged category. Now, the institute will call around 50 OBC students. “We have already got the necessary clearance and of the 318 students who make it to IIM, Joka, this year, 9 to 10 will be from the OBC category. We will publish the list in our website by January 31. But if we do not find suitable candidates we may not fill up all the OBC seats,” said professor Ashish Bhattacharya, chairman, admissions of IIM, Joka, a member of CAT Group.
But the authorities and many in the faculty feel that the funds allotted by the human resources development ministry would not be enough to maintain the academic standard and infrastructure for the additional students.
The institute had asked for a Rs 139-crore non-recurring grant, Rs 7.29 crore as recurring grant besides Rs 100 crore for buying 50 acres to develop the infrastructure. But the Veerappa Moily Committee has allotted only Rs 47.5 crore for this purpose. “In the final recommendation of the Moily Committee, the money allotted for implementing the OBC quota has been drastically cut down without any explanation,” an IIM official said.
The faculty members are also worried about the funds crunch. “We will soon face serious problems. We must realise that we are dealing with the premier management institution of the country and its academic quality cannot be maintained by just increasing some classrooms and hostel accommodation. The money allotted to us will definitely not help us upgrade our infrastructure,” Sen said.
In its two-year post-graduate diploma in management programme, there is a deficit of Rs 1 lakh per student, which cannot be covered with tuition fee. And with 600 students on campus, the deficit has gone up to Rs 6 crore. “We will some manage this year but from next year it will be a big problem if the infrastructure is not suitably upgraded,” Sen said.
The institute is also not being allowed to maintain its teacher-student ratio. IIM wanted a ratio of 1:7 but the ministry suggested 1:14.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Learn Vaastu at an institute in Kolkata soon
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 25, 2007
If you are passionate about Vaastu and its effects, you can soon master it. Exterior Interior, a premier interior-designing institute, is all set to offer a course in applied Vaastu Shastra in Kolkata from February.
“Applied Vaastu Shastra is the biology of making a building or a structure,” said Partha Pratim Chakraborty, programme manager.
Vaastu has caught everybody’s imagination as everyone wants to stay in a house that is correct Vaastu-wise. They even want their furniture to be Vaastu-compatible.
“We being the oldest interior designing institute in this part of the country, various establishments had approached us asking for Vaastu consultants. That is what prompted us to start this course. Those who join this course can, thus, rest assured there will be no dearth of job offers when they pass out,” said Chakraborty. “Civil engineers and interior designers can upgrade their portfolios by doing this course,” he added.
The course will be taught from the scientific perspective. “We will teach students how various elements in nature can be used to upgrade the experience of our living space,” Chakraborty said.
The course will also cover Feng Sui. “Vaastu deals with all the five elements of nature and Feng Shui with just two. Hence the course will cover Feng Sui too,” he added.
During the course the students will be taken to construction sites where Vaastu is being applied to get a practical insight of the application. They will also visit places that are being done up the Vaastu way.
Industry experts framed the syllabus following extensive research. They even consulted the canons of Vaastu Shastra, as codified in texts such as Manasara Silpa Shastra by Manasara, Agni Purana and works by Kautilya and Sukracharya. “Vaastu is very scientific in nature and our syllabus has been packaged in a way that it meets the needs of modern life,” said Chakraborty.
The course will be offered in three slabs — basic, advance and advance certificate. Each slab will be for three months so the entire course will last nine months. “We are targeting everyone from housewives to civil engineers. The only criterion is they should have a knack of it. The course fee will be moderate,” said Chakraborty.
Admission will be preceded by an aptitude test, a psychometric analysis and interview.
Once the course is launched in Kolkata, Exterior Interior plans to offer the same at its 20 centres around the country and in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the US.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 25, 2007
If you are passionate about Vaastu and its effects, you can soon master it. Exterior Interior, a premier interior-designing institute, is all set to offer a course in applied Vaastu Shastra in Kolkata from February.
“Applied Vaastu Shastra is the biology of making a building or a structure,” said Partha Pratim Chakraborty, programme manager.
Vaastu has caught everybody’s imagination as everyone wants to stay in a house that is correct Vaastu-wise. They even want their furniture to be Vaastu-compatible.
“We being the oldest interior designing institute in this part of the country, various establishments had approached us asking for Vaastu consultants. That is what prompted us to start this course. Those who join this course can, thus, rest assured there will be no dearth of job offers when they pass out,” said Chakraborty. “Civil engineers and interior designers can upgrade their portfolios by doing this course,” he added.
The course will be taught from the scientific perspective. “We will teach students how various elements in nature can be used to upgrade the experience of our living space,” Chakraborty said.
The course will also cover Feng Sui. “Vaastu deals with all the five elements of nature and Feng Shui with just two. Hence the course will cover Feng Sui too,” he added.
During the course the students will be taken to construction sites where Vaastu is being applied to get a practical insight of the application. They will also visit places that are being done up the Vaastu way.
Industry experts framed the syllabus following extensive research. They even consulted the canons of Vaastu Shastra, as codified in texts such as Manasara Silpa Shastra by Manasara, Agni Purana and works by Kautilya and Sukracharya. “Vaastu is very scientific in nature and our syllabus has been packaged in a way that it meets the needs of modern life,” said Chakraborty.
The course will be offered in three slabs — basic, advance and advance certificate. Each slab will be for three months so the entire course will last nine months. “We are targeting everyone from housewives to civil engineers. The only criterion is they should have a knack of it. The course fee will be moderate,” said Chakraborty.
Admission will be preceded by an aptitude test, a psychometric analysis and interview.
Once the course is launched in Kolkata, Exterior Interior plans to offer the same at its 20 centres around the country and in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and the US.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
JU zero tolerance for bandh lovers
Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, January 24, 2007
Unhappy with the deluge of bandhs, Jadavpur University (JU) is planning a zero-tolerance for teachers and employees who will be absent on strike days. This follows a proposal by the registrar’s office to deduct the salary or a holiday from those who fail to turn. Frequent bandhs in the last two months were affecting the academic environment of the university and compelled the registrar’s office to float the proposal.
All along JU did not have any policy regarding bandhs. Neither the salary nor holidays of the teaching and non-teaching staff were deducted if they failed to turn up. “The university now wants a clear cut policy. The proposal has been floated and the teachers’ union, officers’ union and the employees’ union have been asked to give their opinion by February 28,” said professor Partha Pratim Biswas, an EC member.
However, there have been differences. While the registrar’s office proposed to deduct a day’s salary, teachers felt that deducting a holiday will be a better proposition. The university authorities feel that framing a bandh policy will not be undemocratic. “We have a right to express our opinion. One can support a bandh and choose not to turn up, but they will have to sacrifice their salary or their holiday. In fact through their sacrifice, the teachers will be on a stronger wicket. During the trade union bandh, bank and government employees too follow such a method,” said Biswas.
Issues like the stance of the 60 teaching and 250 non-teaching employees who reside on the campus should do on bandhs was also discussed.
The students too will not be spared— the university will decide on whether to mark a student absent or force him to go in for extra classes. The university will also frame a policy to deal with absenteeism during a students strike. The absence of students from pre-scheduled exams will be considered seriously if they fail to take the exam even when the transport situation is normal during a bandh. Calling a students’ strike during the examination may also cost them dear.
In another motion, the university proposed to stop organising any pujas within the campus. This proposal was moved because the academic environment of the university was being spoiled with frequent pujas organised by the families of the non-teaching staff staying on the campus.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
Kolkata, January 24, 2007
Unhappy with the deluge of bandhs, Jadavpur University (JU) is planning a zero-tolerance for teachers and employees who will be absent on strike days. This follows a proposal by the registrar’s office to deduct the salary or a holiday from those who fail to turn. Frequent bandhs in the last two months were affecting the academic environment of the university and compelled the registrar’s office to float the proposal.
All along JU did not have any policy regarding bandhs. Neither the salary nor holidays of the teaching and non-teaching staff were deducted if they failed to turn up. “The university now wants a clear cut policy. The proposal has been floated and the teachers’ union, officers’ union and the employees’ union have been asked to give their opinion by February 28,” said professor Partha Pratim Biswas, an EC member.
However, there have been differences. While the registrar’s office proposed to deduct a day’s salary, teachers felt that deducting a holiday will be a better proposition. The university authorities feel that framing a bandh policy will not be undemocratic. “We have a right to express our opinion. One can support a bandh and choose not to turn up, but they will have to sacrifice their salary or their holiday. In fact through their sacrifice, the teachers will be on a stronger wicket. During the trade union bandh, bank and government employees too follow such a method,” said Biswas.
Issues like the stance of the 60 teaching and 250 non-teaching employees who reside on the campus should do on bandhs was also discussed.
The students too will not be spared— the university will decide on whether to mark a student absent or force him to go in for extra classes. The university will also frame a policy to deal with absenteeism during a students strike. The absence of students from pre-scheduled exams will be considered seriously if they fail to take the exam even when the transport situation is normal during a bandh. Calling a students’ strike during the examination may also cost them dear.
In another motion, the university proposed to stop organising any pujas within the campus. This proposal was moved because the academic environment of the university was being spoiled with frequent pujas organised by the families of the non-teaching staff staying on the campus.
mou.hindustantimes@yahoo.com
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