Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Vice Chancellor Remembers Bio VKRVRao

    Uploaded by

    telugutalli
    48 views36 pages
    VKRV Rao

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    VKRV Rao

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    48 views36 pages

    Vice Chancellor Remembers Bio VKRVRao

    Uploaded by

    telugutalli
    VKRV Rao

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 36
    A VICI HANCELLOR MEMBER 1957 to 1960 My Vics Chancellorship came to me aa 8 great surprise. In fact, I had only on the previous dey gone and congratulated Dr Ram Bihari whose name had appearad in the newspapers. To my great surprise therefore, next avening I got a telephone cell fran mr K G Saiyuddin, Secretary in the Union Education Ministry saying “Congratulations Dr Rac, I ea just returning from the President's house, and you heve been appointed ao Vice Chancellor”. There was no prior consultation with ea ebout my willingness to accept the post. I wuppose it had taken for granted tnat [ snsil do so. Though I was @ little anncyad at the cavelier nanner in which 1 was offerea the appointment, I could not possibly say na, partly beczuse I nad eaten tne aslt of the Dalhni University foc a number of years and partly because 1 had over years as a University Professor tnought a great deal about the university administration and how it could b> improved. Tne long and short of it was thet 1 accenied thu Vics Chancsllorship and succeeded or Mahajani in that post. I shall give below though not in a systesatic order, a number of things which I remember in my tenure as Vice Chancellor. I am mentioning thea <2- recalled from my memory and not in a specific order of importance or evan with a chronological order in my tenure 9s Vice Chancellor. 1 was alwaye under the impression that « new college affiliated to the University could come into. existence only after thay make a formal application far themselvea to be inspected, @ report mada by the Inspection Committes to be constituted by the Univer- sity for any chang or conditions they bike to impose, and after it was accepted, the college concarred could be affiliated, 1 did not know whether it was siso applicable to Government collages, but 1 took it for granted that as far as the Unaversity was concerned, there was no descrimination between Government and non= government collages regarding the procedure on the auestion of affiliation. So 1 was rather astonished to find some time after | became Vice Chancellor that the Government had started or procleimed ite inten- tion of sterting a new medical m llege named after Maulans Aodul Khalam Azad. There was no doubt thet a new madical college was necessary as the only one medical college in existence, admitted only women students and Delhi boys who wanted to seek medical education had to yo to other plac While there was no doubt that a new medical college wae necessary, the Government had not followed tha proper procedure in trying to gat at started, nor do they have any right -3- to sdmit students or appoint faculty befors the college was formally affiliated. They ted not sent any application to tre university for affiliation, nor javen the usual details that ere given by colle- ges king efriliation, I therefore told the Director-General of Health, who wes sponsoring ths College on behalf of Delhi Administration that tne college could not be affiliated as the Government had not complied witn the formal effiliation proce- dures, I therefore asked him not to start tha collage for @ year but to put in en application by the Government of India for affiliation for the medical callege along with the necessary details. The Dire- ctor-Generel was horrified and thought at first that I was joking. When he found out I was serious ne just did not know what to do, because he thought chere was no ne:d to inspect or impose conditions on @ Government college which had eli the resources necessary for ths purpose, and therefore there was no need for an inspection committss report before granting affiliation. When found that I was adement in my position he referred the matter to thea Head of the Delhi administration who also happened to be the dome Minister of the Government of India, as Delhi administration came under the jurisdiction of the Home Minister. Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was the then Home Minister. when ho heard about the impesse hich hed been created by the University regarding ~4e the medical college. he sent for me to discuss the position, and Pandit Pant was e formidable figure of @ man. But from the little I had known of him earlier, I knaw that he was a very just man and did not Stand on ceremoni 1 aleo knew he had very gentle eyes and a friendly smile. So 1 went to ase hia though in a estate of some trepedition because of the seriousness of the matter. He made ma sit down next to him on the same sofa and asked me what it was that was troubling ae and what I wanted. I told him about the usual procedure adopted by educational inetitutions when it ack for affiliation by the Uni- varsity, details which it had to give, the inspection committee which had to meet, and its acceptance of such conditions as have been imposed by the Univer- sity on the report of the Committee before it got affiliation. The University prescribed no differance in procedures ae between private colleges and Govern- ment colleges, It was therefore necessary for the Maulanz Azad college authorities to put in a formal appli clon for affiliation like other colleges and qu through she proceduze of inspaction before it could pe considered for affiliation, I! told Pantjis "Siz juut as you have taken an oeth of office to mainzain the Constitution 8 8 Union Cabinet Minister, in @ small way 1 believe I have taken also taken an oath of office as Vice Chancellor to uphold the Se Statutas, ordinances and regulations of the University. That is why : had to insist on the college sending in 3 formal applicstion even though in actual fact, it might be fulfilling the conditions required for affiliation", Instead af getting angry with me 8a I tnougnt ne would, Pantji felt highly amused at what he might have thought my juvenile assertion of university indspendence. He then asked ms if the application for effiliation was not considered this year, what would happen to the men and women who had already been admitted to the medical college. IT told him that he could send the lady students to the Lajy Hardinge Medical College and the male stu- dents to the All india Institute of Medical Education which had special provision for admitting under graduate students, After doing so the Government can put in 2 formal application which would ell ba dealt with within a» few months and it should be possible for the medical college to come into formal existence as an affiliated collegs of the Delhi uni- versity as from the next academic yasr. It could not come into axistence in the current year even tnough it had advertised to have come into existenca. To my greet relist Pantji accepted the position. Girls were sent to the Lady Hardinge Medical College and boys to tha all India Institute of Medical Education and the University received an application from the Delhi Administration and the H lth Ministry ~6- for starting the Meulene Azad Medical College as an affilicted collage of the Delhi University. 1 then got an Inspection Committee appointed and went through the usual procedures and then got effilia- tion sanctioned to the college. The college did come into existence the next yeat after having satis-° fied all the rules end regulations of the University and I had the pleasure of attending its inebgural function es Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University. This brief passsge of eris between myself repre- senting the University and the Home Minister of the Union Government left me humble and with a feeling of respect for the Government of Indie standards of behaviour towards institutions whose eutonomy it fecognised even though they almost got cent percent grants from the Government for their functioning. Of course the Government was not an ebstrect proposi- tion; in tris case it functioned in the person of Pandit Pant a great and noble gentleman who knew how to maintain nis awn authority while respecting the autonomy and self-rospect of subordinates insti- tutions. Without any fuss or public debate the — Government had postponed for a year the establish- ment of a nedical college just to satisfy the regulations af the University and the self-righteous sentimence of its Vica Chancellor, I wonder what would have been the position if a similar situation occurred during current years. “Te Another ticklish problem I have attended to which had began plagued previous Vice Chancellors was that of student institutions functioning in the University. Quite often thease student bodi hod no regulsr constitution and whan they had one there was no provision for age-limit of members or the length of tenurs of office bearers. Such a situation mada it possible the risa of life-student politicians who stayed in tha university for mych longer tina than the normal course of studies required, end there- fore could create trouble for Profassore or their fellow students or for the administration. Delhi University also had its own student politicians who wece shove the noroel under-graduata age limit. I made it @ point to meet the student unions all toge- thar and its committes members and persuaded then about the importance af revising their constitution setting age limit for mmbership and tenure of office bearership and letting bonafide studsnts to play their due role in matters conesrning student participation and activities in the university. Student bodi: deserved youth to be given a chance instead of old talent continuing in powar. The students proved very reasonable, new constitutions were accepted and it was my good luck that 1 was able to make these raforms in student administration with the consent of tne students themselves and without any fuss or disturbances bring made avout it. In fect, my rala- tions with the students were complately cordial and had sutual respect and confidence ae their basi Tha healthy and restrained manner in which stu- dents approached their ewn preblems can be illustra- ted by one example. When I was sitting in the Vice Chancellor's room I heard from my office that a body of Bo.Com students who were taking their examinations in the Kashmere Gate Polytechnicue had left their examination halls without answering their papers and were marching to the Vice Charcellor's offices. I waited for them. A few minutes later, a group of about 200 students turned up outside the Vice Chan- cellor's office and I was told they wanted to ses me. I sent word saying that 1 was prepersd to mect two or three of their representatives to find out wha! aad gone wrong but not the whole lot of them as there was no raom for all of them in my office. Accardingly 2 ar 3 boys turned up end I believe one gir. also (1 am not sure) and with great agitation told ms tnat tha questions were completely out of the course snd it was not possible far them to answer them and henca they had ta walk out of tha hall. They handed over the question peper to me and said: "Sir you must see that we got another examination". 1 told the students 1 could understand their egitation if what they said wis correct, but in any case it was not Proper on their part to leave the examination hall witnout answering the papers and not even turning in the blank answer books and cone marching in @ procession to the Vice Chancellor's office. All thet implied Ie lack of respect to the University and its sacred messege of learning-and disciplina., 1 told them tney should express regret for their behaviour after which | was prepared to examine the whole matter anc in case tney were rignt and the question papers ware found outside the syllabua, | wae ready to order another examination for them with another question peper so that they could do justice to their knowledge. They nesitated on being asked ta give their apoiogy, but I told tham there was nothing to be ashamed of in exprensing regret for their wrong conduct wnoich had been done publickly by no less a pergon than Mahatma Gandh2 and hs did not suffer any discomfiture because of his frankness and beldness. when the students heard my sxample they smiled and said “Alright air, we shall jive an apology”. I said it must be si;ned by all the persons who accam- panied the procession. They said “Yes Sir®, Within half an hour I had 2 letter of apology and 1 got the case investigated end to my surprise the students were right. 1 therefore ordered ® re-exeminetion for them 1 cannet conceive @ Vice Chancellor asking the students to apologise today or the atudents being willing to do s0. 1 nad always been in favour of the Univ ity having friendly relations with the people of the area. 1 never liked the idea of the University being a lonely tower and not having useful contact with the people at large. Ase student of Bombay Unaversity -to- I had arranged for some course of lectures by college professurs on a systematic basis for improving the knowledge of the generel public. 1 naw returned to the theme with the slogan: “instead of always people going to the University, sometines the university atleast must go to the people". Accordingly with the willing consent of my colleagues I arranged for e course of 5-10 lectures on different topice in different parts of the city by the University staff for wenbers of the general public who registered themselves by paying @ nominal fee of Ae.i/- each, About 800 pwple registered themselves for the first year and it occurred to me that I enould have an inaugural function to let the peuple know that the university hes started a new programe for them. I requested Pandit Pant whom I knew a little (but wnom I had not yet met in connection with the Maulana Azad Medical Collsge issue), who was then Home Minister to inaugurate the function. I had heard that Pantji wes notorious for the way in which he invariably same late for his meetings sometimes by several nours and I was little apprehensive tint ne mignt follow tne seme nabit with regard to the univer= ait, function, I slwaya had a very high and overwhelminc o2seasion of the sacredness of punctuality in unversity functions, 4s i was mot wanting in cheek or what might be otherwise called impartinence, 1 thought I should do something personal in the matter of sasing that the function was aterted in time. So I rang up the PA Me to Pantji and told himt Plesse tell Pantji that Delhi is not UP and Delhi University functions start exactly in time. The PA was aghast and asked if I really wanted him to relay this message. 1 told him to quote my exact words and that I had instructed him to convey this to Pantji. The reaclt wes that Pantji came exactly one minute late for the function to the astonishment of everybody and apologised far being late. An old colleague of Pantji who knew of Pantji's habit of coming for functions rather late, tnought that the function would stert late end erri= ved half an hour later to find that the function was ralf through. I am giving this illustration only to show a Mow a ceally great man functions without taking exception to what might appear to be tha inper- tinent behaviour of youngsters or subordinates. Thers is no doubt in my mind that in ell of my life one of the noblest end gentlest men I have met is Pandit Gobind Vallabh Pant. Another incident I would recell with particular plessure was the new look I gave to the Dolhi Uni- versity convocation. Ouring all the time when I was attending the convocation as a membar of the Univer= sity, I nad been disappointed with the ebsence of cignity and decorum which I thought should prevail in a convocetion, especially in the dress worn by men and women graduates at the time of receiving thedr degrees, ‘en were in all sorts of clothes neither Indian style nor Western style, but e mixture wt2- of both ond ramatime just with an open shirt, and the women wearing different kinds of colour sovees mokina @ mixture of colours th=t wes not necasserily ar. scaling to the aesthearic eye. Now that I was Vice c neeller, I thought I should try end do something about this. So well before the convocation war to be neld, I wrote pezsonal letters to all the graduates and to the princioals of their colleges requesting degree receivers - msn to come in formal dregs, Indian er Western, and to Women to come dressed in white Sarees. fa sy very pleasant surprise all the graduates turned up emartly clad, women in white and wen in Lusovean ox Indian formel clothes, thereby presenting @ picture of the most dizgnified convocation I have ween in my lifa in Delnd University. This «as ons ancident which Le?t a mark on me and I recall even to this day with plassure the alsticn I felt on thec day. Added to my joy at recalling the first convocation durin: wy tenuce as vice Chancelior is the fact that I was able to get Pandit Jaweharlel Nxhru to deliver the convocation address. “My najor triumah was in getting nim to write out the addr which ha was moat reluctant to da, and vaid so when ho actually road his address, In his addrsss he sade some most thoughtful pranouncemanta on the subject of education. He had taken the trouble of writing out his address much against his usual practice and inspite of his enornous work achedule,and 1 took it asa testimony for his affection for me which, needless to say, left me feeling veew hanne -13- I also did try to make some improvement in the teaching style followed by the University, particu- larly for its Honours atudents. The method of teaching follewed by the Delhi Unaversity and its colleges was exactly as in other universities and consisted almost wholly of lectures with students taking down notes and having little scope for sti- mulating thinking or creative activity on their parts. There was no interaction betwuan the student and teachers on what was taught in the various sub- jects. I thought I should change this practice in the light of my Ceabridge sxperience. There, though we had lectures every week, we also had tutorials Each honours student was aseigned to a young don who he used ta meat once a waek with a written essay on sane subject chosen by him and pertaining to our fie. of study. He would read the essays in our presence, pointing out our difficulties of omission and cammi- asion in bozh logic and style, and in the process making us defend what we hed written or enlarge on what we had written, Thus, there was stimulating discussion on the whole subject and we used to call tutorial method a kind af intellectual tennis or a two-way traffic in which both parties, the teacher and the student had to be active participants, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce thie kind of intellectual tennis in Delhi University for its honours students; but then there was the matter of finance, accommodation and personnel, wWhere were eli the small rozms to be had where the teachers -14- could meet the students, as neither the colleges nor the university hed any such sst of small rooms. How were teachers, young and bright, ta be found who would be prepared to undertake this task and who could be called spacial fellows or teachers in difforent subjects, and than who would trein tham as to how they would function because what was suggested was somewhat unique to the Indian style of teaching. I thought all these difficulties could be solved if ons hed the will to do sc. 1 approechd the Ford Foundation fora substantial .rant for the introduction of what I called the tutorfal system into Delhi University. funds were required for constructing 3 building which would contain e large nuzser of rooms whare the tutorials could be taken, Honey was also required to pay sala- ries of the teacters for the first five years. The Ford soundation was good enough to agree to my praposel and i got a vary experienced don from Cambridge to guide teachers in the tutorial system and make the University familiar witn thu Cambridge tutorial style of taaching end get the cooperation of principals of colleges and mewbere and neads af departasncs. A number of yaung graduates or Hasters of Arts were appointed as trachere who were to take ons or two tutorials » weak and 6 2 or 3 studencs at the sume tise. For accommodating the tutorial rooms { had ta put up e huge building next door to the Jniveratty Library and linkad with it with a large oumber of small rooms which was used for functioning of * tutorial system, In aubsequent years, like all gaod things, the project also slowed -15- down, the buildings remained, and the rooms and the hall, all constituted most valuable part of ths Uni- versity library where scholars could do their concen= trated work in individusl rooms. Anyway, the ides I had broached is still being carried out in many colleges in Delhi University, particularly the D:1hi School of Economics, which has made the tutor: al an integral part of the teaching system, The tutorial system was confined to only hanours students, and I thought something should be done for the pass students es well. I therefore intro- duced the syste» of preceptoriels far the pass stu- dents wnere the pupils mestingat a time would be 10 or 20. There would be sssays to be written and the method of teaching followed would be more of mstual discussion than set lectures by the professor in cherga. The preceptorial aystem also helped to unfreeze the creative elemant of tne student coaasu= nity and rake the transmiasion of knowledge a mutuel process between students and teachers and between students and students. Another thing 1 had noticed about my University in contrast with what 1 had seen abroad was the anserce of any aesthetic elemant. 1 found abroad even scientific universities having music departments and all universities having concert halla where music performances were regularly given for the benefit of university students and teachers. I would have liked Delhi university also to nave & school of music, & -16- school of painting, & school of sculptures. Though I could not do anything regarding painting erg sculpture ~ 1 might have etarted somothing with shese swo items also if 1 had completed my full ters af offsce o: five years instead of giving At up at the snd cf 3 years = 3 could ds somathing about music. There were already precedents in Indion uni~ versiticn far having imu departments. In fact when i wes at the Delhi Schnol of Enonomics and runaing an ourientetion eantre for foreiyn, techniciens, 1 nad introduced music and also build up a library of musinel feczords and tape recerdero for playing thom, sa tnat there was a smzll susi¢ library. But this was only a drop in the acran as the Delhi School of Economics was only @ very amell part of the Unzversity as fer 4s the nunber of students were concerned. sow chat I had become Wice Chancellor, th: least 1 could de wos to introduce music into the Universi ys M idee vee not only to introduce music a5 a subject of study but also as # pa rt of education snd entertainment for music minded peofle diving in the unzversity crea. I wanteu both Hindustani music end Karnatek music to bn taucht and slso shat 438 enfarsliar te Indian Universities « western music, because I had slesys believed that all aunic hes ultimately one divine adentity and at was possible for people to understand and appraciats snd tvan practice all the three kinds of music. 2 auproached tne Un:versity Grants Commisaicn for <1T= giving me small departments of Hindustani Music, Karnatak music and destern music, and the Rockfeller Foundation for @ big grant for getting ms all the necessary equipments, especially for wastern music, ana fer recording folk music and the like Incidentally, as music was an unfamiliar subject to me I wanted to find out what its teaching requirements were. I there~ fore took advantage af my attendence at the Comman- wealuh Vice Chancellors Conference in Canada in 1958 to go round some other well known places of Western music like Salysburg, Vienna, Warsaw, Prague, East Berlin, Oxford, London, Juliana School of Music, New York, the School of Music, Blumington, Indiana, and also the Music Centre in Canadas. Cverywhere I found that the number of lectures was small, the number of hours that @ student has to put in in his work was very large. In other words, the teachers stimulated and initiated, but the studant had to follow and da the rest un his own, In gusic I found teaching was reslly a two-way traffic witn the etudant playing a larger role ana this conv-nced me that all sducation should be of tne same type witn an entirely different angle giver to lectures being accompanied by tutorials and precaptorials, end that our Indian system serv mainly as a mechanism for && transmission of knowladge as if water is poured from a full pot to an empty pot where there was very little interaction or creative or voluntary activity by the student concerned in their learning of the subjact. To translate the entire -10- teaching system in the Delhi University on this lines was an impossible task but I loi no opportunity of talking about the two-way traffic character of teech- ing and the importance of stimulating the creative talent rather than the repetitive habit in our student | body, by our current mathods of teaching. The music da rtment started with e Professor of Karnatak Music, a Professor of Hindusteni Music and a new faculty of music. We could get only a Reader for sestern music and even there we could not get the equipment that was required. In fact, soon after I left,the enthusiasm for western music disappeared anc today the Delhi University Department of Music has only two sections, Hindustani end Karnataka, and it does not contain any provision for western music. It is again what happens to ideas projected by people who are not there to sea them through till ‘their completion. Incidentally I was always anxious to pursue ny Gasire +o give the University a concert hall where concerts could be held by University students and teachers and alsa by distinguished outsiders, A concert hall meant a large donation and I had to get it from private sources. fortunately for ae Mrs Savitri, daughter of Lala Sankar Lal(brotner and partner of Lala Sriram) was taken up by my idea and gave a large donation of Re.1,00,000/- (ten lakhs) to build a concert hall to be naced ofter her father in the University sreae 1 received the -19- entire maney before I left but the concert hall did not come inte exigtence during my stoy in the University. It took some years to do so and ultimately it was housed outside the University Gardens, much to my regret as I had originally contemplated it being located in the u ereity Gardens with its lewns, trees and flowers forming a suitable background. Anyway, somathing 4s better than nothing and I think fow universities can boast of having their own concert halle as Delhi university can. Thare ere two other physical chengee in the Uni- vereity campus wiich 1 brought about and which I recall witn pleasure, One wes tho cleaning up and beautifying of Probyn Rowd in the University campus, whicn has the university gardens on the one side and on the other the Central Institute of Education, Miranda House, University Law Faculty. It was @ centrel road of the University and yet it was very ugly because, along the right aide of the road at a distance of almost every 100 yards there were pill boxes coming from the British times, These ugly structures which wereabeing made use of for nuiserce purposes and for piling rubbish. 1 had for long regarded them as an aye-sore when I was warking in the University and had been anxious to get rid of them, but 1 could not do so for lack of authority. vhen L became Vice Chancellor I took up the quostion and found out that they wero regarded as archaedlogical monuments and that ! had to taka the permission of the -20- Archagolojical Department to have them demolished. 1 was able to secure the permission of the Department without any difficulty and was thinking of setting about the task of d jolitian. When I was thinking of, doing so, it so heppened that Shri V K Krishna Menon then Miniater of Defence, came to the University and both going in my car along the Probyn Road, I trumphantly pointed out the pall boxes and told himt "Look at these ygly structures, 1 am going to get rid of them". To my surprise Krishna Menon turned ta me with almost en angry gesture and said: “you can't do it. They are the property of the Ministry of Defence". 1 got startled. 1 had heard ebour Sri Krishna Menon's perverse feeling of propristorship in lend and other things belonging to the Defence Ministry, and I was afraid that he vould pees some orders which will make my task of demolishing them more difficult. So 1 did not give him any answer to what he said. By the next might I had all the 15 or 20 pill boxes demoli- shad in one night so that nobody could think of re- constructing them on the placo. That left tha road vecy much cleaner, Then i followsd it up with putting a compound wall all along beginning from the Miranda House and ging right upto tne end of the road and in between 1 created a beautiful circle between the Uni~ reity Library, the Tutoraial Buildings ond the Arte Faculty Building, and made it one of the beauty spots of the University. -21- I think beauty in buildings and their proper maine tenance is *#iso one of the aids to quality of education. The otner thing I did was to bring in lawns and flowers in a big way into tne University campus. Apart from the University gardens which had some kind of poor maintenance, and the gardens ani lawns of the St. Stephen's College, and to some extent the College of Commerce, there were no gardens or lawns or flowers in any part of the University campus, nor among the lerge number of residential quarters which were @ part of the campus, while Gwyer Hall, the University post- graduate residential hostel, was like a jungle as far es lawns anc flowers were concerned. I was determined to stimulate the lawn and flower consciousness, and knew it could not be dane without stimulating the interest of staff, students and residents of the Uni-= versity. 1 prevailed upon my colleegues in endowing prizes for what | callad University Flower Show every yerr, with prizes to be ewarded for the best lewn and flowers mainteines by college hostels and by private residents which was also extonded to vegetables. I gave 9 sum of 2s,500/— from my own packet and esta~ plished the Vice Chancellor's Prize and ell my collea- gues like Heads of Jepartments in the University and Principals of Colleges in the campus gave s.100/- each anJ established prizes in the name of their institutions. The prizes were ir the form of running trophies and malis were to get casn prizes which should be given by the University, and ws which should also besr the exponses of organising the flower show. To my great ~22- delight, the idea caught on very well. Everybody took it up with great enthusiasm and the firet flower show was a resounding success with more then 3000 pcople coming to attend it by paying a small fee for doing so. To my personal delight, the first prize for lewns and flowers was won by the Delhi School of Economics, though they did not continue to have this honour in subssquent yeers. I regard this act of mine in integrating flowers and lawns into the educctional atmosphere as en environmental achievenent. The results havs stayed put and even today the Univer- sity campus of Delhi is known far its flowers and lawns as aloo vegetables that ere gron in the gardens of tho residents, Qn the academic aide, spagt from introducing the tutorial system and strengthening the library, and adding music faculty ta the University subjects, I must record with pride that I brought in a number of Indian languages into the Delhi University on the grounc that Delna is « Central Undvereity catering to the needs of people of different Indian languages and neticnal intsgration required that Delhi should have 8 many languages 8s subjects af study as ere in the Schedule. Oelni University already had Hesides Hindi, Bengild and Punjabi. T thought it should have etleast @ few South Indian languages. Without approaching the University Grants Commission, I directly approached the Governm-nts of the Southern States for grenta far a five year period to set up small language unite -23- pertaining to their states in the University. 1 hed no difficulty in getting the consent of Shri Kameraj of “Madras State, Sri Brahmananda Reddy of Andhre Pradesh, Sri Veerandra Patil of Kernataka and Shri Jeeversaj Nehta of the Bombay State which atate ied two languages vize, Maretha and Gujarathi. So I was eble to set up units with s reader and lecturer in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kenneda, Marathi and Gujs- rathi in the Delhi University and create eX a Faculty tor Indian languages with th languages and the existing ones of Hindi, Bengali and Punjabi. Wo also got the University syllabus chenged to give room for ene of the Indian Languages fora supplementary paper. 1 must say that this experiment did not prove as © great a success es I hoped it would be, I suppose this is the case of all our attempts at national inte~ gtation, but in any ¢ the University of the capital city can boast af heving » large number of Indian Langua teugnt in its premises. I only hope in course of time the ri ining langua also would be added to the list and some active communication asta= plished between modern Indian language: and the langinge academe and the distinguished litterateurs in diffe rant individual languages. I nade one more addition to the academic structure of the University, There were o large number of women registered by the University as non-collegiate -24= women students and they were allowed to uppecr for the examinations as private students in the Delhi univer- sity, but no arrangemonts weremsde for giving them any instruction or guidance nor were they every breught together in groups te interect with sach other. It was just an educational farce on paper. When 1 discovered that at was ono of my inheritances I promptly got it changed, constituted a statutory board of Fon-collsgiato Women Education, appointed a Secretary to the Bonrd and put the regintraticn on an appropriate basie. 1 also arranged for lectures ta these students in salacted arene within the universit: cumpus ond salsa arranjed for social get-togethors on specific occasions. agistration of non-collegiate eduestion bagan to flourish with thousands of women regiSterin: themselves, with quite a number of them daing handsomely ir the examinations. { had evan though) of precuring 9 suitable building for them and hod inith od action wich the bovernment for getting lend opposite ta tha Wl affics and Income Tax Depar’ ment, in the Indraprastha Estate, end wos nserly getting avey with it, wnen i left the University. Newdleys to say nobody followed it up and where ther was the ruino of . emall- little mosque, there has nc arigen e grand mosque with al} the paraphernalia of a functioning praying institution, One more addition | made to what I may daze ta cell the Academic Institutions af the University wa. -25- the place 1 gave to the University sportsmen. I was always feeling thot the University pay too much honours to their scholars. Though sportsmen were honoured by the students and the general public, the University did not give them any formal recognition. I felt that sportsmen also deserve well by the University and organised Annus) Sportemen's day for the members of the Cricxet Eleven, Hockey Eleven end athlets etc, end were given medels or tokens of recognition of their being university sportsmen. I remember getting the young Msharajn of Patiala as Chief Guest of the fun= ction. It went very well and made the sporting world among the studsnts to laok with a little sore kindly eyes an the scholarly crowd there who used to be the pride of ths Univaraity. 1 alec made this = part of what I called 'Gpnvocation Waek' when in addition to the Convocation, there would be a Sportesen's Convo- cation end I got some distinguished people to come and deliver lectures. The first person whom i got for th» purpose was the mast distinguished of them all, vz., Prof © V Raman wno spant 3 days in the Univer= sity and gave lectures whicn attracted huje crowds. I had the pleasure of having Dr C V Reman as my own house guest for those three days, Never did I f then more thrilled and elso so humble/at the presence and conversation of this truly great savant and Indian Noble laur -26- T would like to mention one further addition | made to the University structure before 1 left it. The University Grants Commission had with the assie~ tance of the Gendhi reace Foundation offered « sum of Rs. one lakh to any indian university which built a Gandhi Bhavan eno made provision for Gandhian stidies and for meetings or discussions on Gandhian ideas. Shri R R viwakar, tne then President of the Gardhi Peace Foundation n trat Gendhi very k should live among the student community and thia wes one of ways of uchieving it. As an old Ganchain eyseli I felt very much attracted to the idea snd became the fisst applicant tor wspistance towards building a Gandna dhavan. for the purpose } geve away 8 part of the area belonging to the house of the Vice Chancellor wnich wes then occupies by me and nad a beautiful structure erected for housing the sandhi Bnavan. Appropriately en.ugh, the foundation stone 9? the Gandhi dhavan was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru when he made a stirring cali for the retention and follow up of Gandhisn memories and ideas amongst the young erople of the university. Gne more incident which I recall with greet plessure io my duys of Vice Chencellorship waa the holding of the Indian Science Congrens, the importance of which was enhenced by the fact that apart from Pandit Jawahar- lel Nehru, the Ouke of Edinborough, Pricu Philip vae “27+ ntative of the British also attending as a repr ®ayal Socdaty. The Indian Scdence Congres is a huge affadr with more than 3 ta-4 thousand delegates and 2 large number of simultaneous sessions and large gathering which resemble more Molas than serious meetings of schelars with written papers being read to the audience. 2st 1% servas the purpose of formal consiitation batwean distinguished scientists on the various problems on which they are working und also srounes their interest. In sny case it is a big evant in the science world and distingurshed scien~ tists from all parts of the country as well as youngsters attend tha sessions. Thenks to the cooperation of my collsugues in the colleges as well as in the hostels. 1 was able to close tha University for the session and free all the hostels for accommodating the guests. Excellent arraniemente were made regarding their food, wnich is an im,ortant key to the success of any conference. Our particuler efficiency was the errange- mont made for morning tes and bath without holding up peapls in lony queues and thie was appreciated by the celogstes. This was possible beceune of the sincere cooperation of the volunteers and workers who did their job in a missionery spirit. Altogether the Science Congress was a most successful seesion and members left in a pleased mood. it only showed me that it is possible to organise such large ions provided one is prepared to go into details on lf and also if one has a core of loyal workers and the cooperation of the visitors, but | will mention only 2 of them. One -28- key persons concerned. One little detail showing the importance of attending ta details can be cited by ma es an illustration. Knowing that the Pandal would not be able to pravent the dum from coming pn to the faces of those sitting an the dias, and know ing the hot afternoon Delhi sun, I personally visite on the previous day the site of the conference and notsd the passage and intensity of the sun, slong w- the engineer in charge of the construction of the Pandal, and we saw to it that the Pandal was so con- structed that the afterncon sun did not get into tr faces of those sitting on the di This was highly appreciotad by the VIP= and contributed to tha suct of the Conference. I had spacifically asked the police not to appear in uniform, though they could place their men in wufti. Though the gathering co Bisted of more than 10,000 persons 611 straining i the crowded place, and the proceedings wera long, students behaved in @ very disciplined manner and nad2 my heart burst with pride at the fact thet they were my students and that I also bslonced to their fraternity. One more act fen which gave the University staff ond students opportunity of coming into cor tact was the special convocations when honorary degrees were conferred on distinguished visitors to the country, who also came to vieit the Unive during my time there were 8 large number of suct visitors, but I will mention only 2 of them. Or -29- was President Eisenhower, President of the United States. I remember him as a modest person who was Very anxious to end his presidential days as 8 man who brought peace to the world. I had @ long chat with him when I gave him an officiel dinnarrand I was inpressed by his sincerity and his abhorance of war, * though he had been the chief man in the wer effort of the sllisd side. Tha other dignitary I remembor is the Duks of Edinboreugh, consort of the juoen. He cartainly had a great of deal of charm, but to my jaundiced eyes much of it lonked as synthetic, and tne thing that Ilcft a nogative impression in my mind was the following incident. When he was to be given the honor-ry degrees, I had briefed him in advance and told him that he should stand up when his citation for the honorary degree was being read. I had seid this to President Eisenhower elso and he stood up like an ermy nan at the sppropr:ate moment. 1 had a little diffi- culty in regard to the Duke of Edinborough, and ae I started reading the citation, | found he was still sitting - my be because of absent mindedness. I then sent the Registrar to him requesting him to stand up when the citation was being reed. Of course he did so promptly and I did nat think many people in the eudience noticed what had happened. But I have not forgotten it. 1 always hold it in my mind as the difference between » republican and monarchical upbringing. -30- One of ny minor functions as Vics Chancellor was to give a platoform to distinguishad persons spongored by ths Ministry of external affairs, but some of theses persone sent by the Ministry of ixter- nal Affairs ty the University wera not that distin= guished. Anyway, on one day 1 received a racuest from the Ministry to arrange for a lecture by Mr XYZ on @ given topic. I agreed to do ao and fixed 68 date and time for the lecture in the aftarncon in the old University Convocation Hall, which was very near to the Vices Chancellor's room and which ould house a respectabla audience of about 200/250 per- sons, As the lecturs was announced, the visitor came tony room and 1 kept him talking and gave his a cup of tea and then left him saying I would sees if the arrangemants ars alright before | take you to the lecture sali. when l went to the hall I found not even a single person prasent. The students and teachers ~ho might have seen ths notice were not interested either in ths man or the subject. Of course the clerical staff, even if interested could not attend the meeting. I wos very much embarrassed and I did mot know hot to go back snd tell ths dis= tinguished foreion lecturor that he would have « poor audience. Then it occurred to me that I could provide es vodest audience. {| immediately told the Registrar to get all the clerks end tyyiste end accounts staff working in the University to essemble in the iniversity 316 Hall to attend the lecture. Then I want back to the Vice Chancellor's room to invite the lecturer to the tecture hall. whan I returned to the hall slong with the guest, to my amazenent, the place wea packsd and the lecturer was very happy at the turn out of the eudience. He spoke for nearly e hour. I must say I was not in= spired, but the audience was mast attantiva, and the lecturer turned ta me and said: "Dr Rao, 3 have lectured in many universities in the world; nsver have | found such en attentive and receptive audience as in Delhi University". Tam afraid minc is a long and drab narrative of the thinge I did wnen 1 was Vice Chancellor which IJ thought worth retailing. 1 would like to conclude however with some general impressions af what I felt ae Vice Chance- lior. Ap vice Chancellor I found:no difficulty in getting an with the heads of colleges or the professors of various departmente or of the colleges. I treated them all invariably with respect and they all recapracated in the same way. 1 cannot recall a single instance during my tenure when [ had any clash of an unpl ant character with any of my academic colleague Une of the things that might have helped wes the fact thet colleegues sould 96e me without prior appointment. My doors were always open and people who found me busy went away and came back some other time, but they did not have to observe the long proce of ringing up and fixing an -32- instrument, waa something which did not quite fit in with the fraternal and cordial relations that always should prevail between tha Vice Chancellor and his colleagues, There is no doubt in my mind that courtesy, respect and deference amongst academic colleagues go 3 lang way in solving differences and making them rally round the Vice Chancellor whenever trere wes any problem or otherwi' and being helpful to him in the discharge of hie duties, As regerds students also, I neve no complaints. Some are very deferential, some ore a little mischievi- ous, but ell had grest respect for the post of Vice Chancellor, and in my case I also found they had genuine regard for my person. 1 encoursged them to talk freely about their probli and never lost ay temper with them. In any administration students will always grievances, so will members of the administrative ataff at all levels, and they feel strongly about their grievances end get frustrated if nothing is done about them, while some of the grievanc were genuine and I quickly solved them there were others which pres-nted difficulties in bsing solved on the Lined demanded by those who had grievence In all such cases I spent extra time in meeting these people and l.etened to them moat patiently without interrupting them and also not passing into controversial argument with then on their essueptions or expecta:ions. I always found this worth e great deal. Agitetors know -3)- thet all their demands will not be satisfied byt they do demand a hearing and = genuine hearing. It is accessibility af the top men to the rest which in my opinion mikes far one of the biggest elemants of successful public relations. This I believe I was ible to do. The only other thing which I would msn= tion would be the extreme need for the Vice Chancellor to be neutr3l and impartial in his dealings both with his colleaqusa and students in terms of ceste, commu- nity, religion or language. In fact, 1 think this is the highest qualification not only for the Vice Chance- llor who is the head of the sdministration but for all persons in Indie who ere heads of edainistration of different kinds whether political, economic, military or otherwise. During ny time I went all the way out to help tne Muslim College, Angdo-Indian college, Sikh Khalse College, the new m woman's college and the colleges started by the refuge + Though ell complained about the conditiony laid down by the Univereity the way in which transactions were conducted between ue left us both with @ feeling of pleasure rather than of authority. All this helped me in creating ® good atmosphere which was however aleo helped by my being in bast terms with the Press and the generel public, before whom I appeared from time to time in lectures or in radio interviews. I think this public projection of my personality helped me in my task as Vice

    You might also like