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Interview | Working on filling up vacant positions, says Panjab University V-C Raj Kumar
Appointed to the helm of Panjab University on July 23, 2018, vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar was given a tenure extension for three years from July 23, 2021. He speaks on his plans for the university in the new year
Appointed to the helm of Panjab University on July 23, 2018, vice-chancellor (V-C) Raj Kumar, who was previously a professor at the Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), was given a tenure extension for three years from July 23, 2021. With just a year-and-a-half left before his term comes to an end, and the university continuously sliding in national and international rankings, the V-C speaks to HT on the remedial measures being taken and his plans for the coming year.
1.Panjab University (PU) has been continuously slipping in various national and international rankings. Even private universities in the region are ranked higher than PU. What, according to you, are the reasons for this and what remedial measures are being taken to restore the varsity’s past glory?
Over the last few years, our ranking has mostly been affected on two parameters: student-faculty ratio and perception. The university has not been able to recruit teachers for a long time, resulting in a decreasing student-teacher ratio. Our ranking in research and citations is better than many universities in region. We are working on our shortcomings. Earlier, fewer universities were participating in the rankings but now the number has risen. We should not be compared with private universities, which have a lot of autonomy. We are a government institution and have to function according to a set of regulations.
2. Presently, PU is not a NAAC accredited university. The last accreditation ended in June. Why has there been a delay on the university’s part to prepare for the next round of accreditation? Some recommendations of NAAC are yet to be implemented?
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NAAC has given some relaxation to the universities. We are using the extended period to improve our ratings.
3. In view of the decision to implement revised pay scales for both teaching and non-teaching staff, the university will need more money to shoulder the additional financial burden. Besides additional yearly liability, the payment of arrears since 2016 is pegged at ₹278 crore at present. How will PU manage its finances in future? Will PU be able to revise December salaries of its teaching and non-teaching staff?
We had deliberated on the arrears in the last board of finance meeting and will request both Centre and state for more grants. We cannot rely on fee hikes every time. We are also brainstorming on better utilisation of our resources. For revision of pay, we have initiated the process but haven’t received options from all teachers yet. But the salaries will be revised soon as per the adopted pay scales.
4. The present arrangement of PU funding was determined by the ministry of education (MoE) in 2017; however, the financial needs of the university have considerably increased since then. Are the annual grants from UGC and Punjab enough to satiate the financial needs of PU?
The financial burden of the university will certainly increase with the revision of salaries. The university’s financial needs have increased, new courses have come up and number of students has also gone up. The present grants from both Centre and Punjab are not sufficient.
5. You have been the V-C of PU for more than four years now. What, according to you, is your major contribution to the university?
My focus has primarily been on promoting research and innovation. We started working on start-ups andincubation. A new incubation unit will soon start functioning. The research grant for teachers is substantially up. We are planning to build a Student Centre in south campus as well. The income of Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF/CIL) is over ₹2 crore now; when I joined, it was around ₹60 lakh.
6. Only about a year-and-a-half is left before your second term comes to an end. What will be your priorities for the remaining term?
The focus will be on filling up vacant positions, creating new infrastructure, expediting implementation of NEP-2020. Besides collaborative courses with other universities, we will also increase the link with industries and work on better facilities in hostels for students.
7. Some senators, and even PUTA, have been alleging rampant corruption in the university? How do you view these allegations? PUTA has even alleged arbitrary appointments on key positions, politicisation of university offices and selective victimisation of teachers in the university?
These are baseless allegations. A particular group is trying to build such a narrative to defame me. The allegations of corruption are doing the rounds but there is no concrete evidence. We are following the university regulations and seniority principle in all matters. One such issue was raised when I appointed the director of Research and Development Cell recently. As per rules, a senior professor can be appointed and that is not on the basis of seniority. That’s how our public perception takes a hit.
