E-Paper
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra: Citadel of learning once, centre of inefficiency, lapses now
Full-time V-C’s appointment awaited; three-time MLA and alumnus’s elevation as new minister for higher education provides ray of hope for the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra
Established on July 1, 1927, the Agra University was renamed as Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra in 1996 by then chief minister and BSP leader Mayawati. The university has been running without a full-time vice-chancellor for the past one year. The paper leaks during the ongoing exams and the long wait for marksheets and degrees are some of the challenges before the new minister for higher education, Yogendra Upadhaya, himself an alumnus of the university and three-time MLA from Agra south.
This university in Agra has proud legacy of having given two prime ministers including late Atal Behari Vajpayee and Late Chaudhary Charan Singh besides the present president of India, Ram Nath Kovind, former vice-president Shankar Dayal Sharma and national security advisor Ajeet Doval to name a few illustrious alumni of the university.
The university which once spread to the United Province of Agra and Oudh, central India and Rajputana, is now confined to Agra division. Earlier all Aligarh colleges were affiliated to it. Aligarh now has its own Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University besides the prestigious central university, Aligarh Muslim University. Naturally, Aligarh colleges are now affiliated to the Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University.
The university caters to about 5 lakh students enrolled in 10 homeopathic colleges in Uttar Pradesh, 17 state colleges, 39 aided colleges, 940 self-financed colleges, 20 medical and dental colleges for 64 academic courses in 15 faculties and has successfully organised 87 convocations with dignitaries of repute in attendance.
Wait for a full-time V-C
The university has been waiting for a full-time, resident vice-chancellor since July 5, 2021, when Uttar Pradesh governor and chancellor Anandiben Patel removed then vice-chancellor Ashok Kumar Mittal and a three-member committee headed by a retired judge was asked to probe alleged charges including that of corruption against Mittal.
Vice-chancellor of Lucknow University, prof Alok Kumar Rai, was given additional charge as officiating vice-chancellor of the university in Agra and he was replaced by prof Vinay Kumar Pathak who too took charge as officiating vice-chancellor in January this year.
The advertisement calling for applications for the appointment of a full-time vice-chancellor was published in March and March 31, 2022, was the last date for sending in applications. The process is yet to be completed.
“When I used to be the vice-chancellor, a full day working round the week used to be short. In such a scenario, it must be quite tough for an officiating vice-chancellor to manage affairs while being in another city and attending this university on weekends,” said professor GC Saxena, an alumnus of Agra university, faculty member, principal of RBS College in Agra, and former vice-chancellor of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University while stressing the need for a full-time resident vice-chancellor for the university.
The downslide
Things have not been very encouraging in the past few decades and even students in Agra now prefer Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI) a deemed university, known for its discipline and academic excellence over Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra. The downslide of the university has also led to brain drain to colleges in the NCR (national capital region) with Delhi providing the best of education.
“What a student seeks are regular classes, regular sessions, timely exams and timely results followed by proper marksheet and degree. For the sake of comparison, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI) in Agra provides all these, and unfortunately, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University failed in these areas looked at by students. Besides, the instances of fake marksheets have further tarnished the image of the university,” prof Saxena said.
“Now with the implementation of the New Education Policy, students have to appear in semester exams but as they prepare for the second semester, the result is yet to be declared for the first semester. The university needs to update and there is an opportunity because about 400 colleges in Aligarh division are to be affiliated to the Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University which will reduce the load by half for the university in Agra but resources available would remain the same,” suggested the veteran academician of the region.
Students at loss
“On any given day, at the office premises on Paliwal Park campus of the university, one can find hundreds of students braving the scorching heat to get marksheets, degrees pending for years. Many of them are there for correction in the marksheet and degrees because either their name or father’s name or other details are wrongly spelled and incorrectly mentioned, because of the callous approach by university staff” said prof Saxena.
“Mark sheets show RD (result detained) or MW (Marks Waited) just because colleges or centres fail to provide marks or attendance for theory or practical exams undertaken by a student. Mistakes are deliberately made in marksheets and degrees for ulterior motives” complained a student on the Paliwal Park premises of the university.
“It is unfortunate that the university with such a great past lost all its name and fame in a few decades. The rampant corruption, delay caused in issuing of degrees and marksheets, lack of placements, shortage of faculty members especially in residential wing running with guest teachers continue as unresolved menaces,” said Amit Singh, a former NSUI leader and present state secretary for the Congress Party. The residential wing of the university comprises various departments and courses running under direct control of the university.
Scams related to fake degrees including one related to the B Ed course had reached the high court in Allahabad. Incidents of fake marksheets devalued the degree of Agra university leaving students at loss.
A ray of hope
A ray of hope emerged after an alumnus of the university and three-time BJP MLA from Agra south, Yogendra Upadhaya, was named cabinet minister for higher education, science and technology, electronics and information technology in the present state government.
However, it would not be a cake walk for Upadhaya who now faces an uphill task to correct the wrongs of the past few decades which did the university no good.
Students who appeared in exams before 2015 still await their marksheets and degrees. Recently, four of the ongoing university exams were rescheduled after two question papers of Zoology and Maths were leaked earlier this month.
University claims
Authorities at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra have their own claims as the university is all set to bounce back after what all was lost during the pandemic. Prof Pradeep Sridhar, spokesperson of the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University of Agra, said that various steps have been taken to minimise the problems faced by students in getting their degrees and marksheets.
“For the duration 2015 till 2020, we have distributed 7,35,000 degrees and have given 11,85,672 marksheets which are uploaded to Digilocker. All the marksheets for 2015 - 2020 have reached respective colleges. Helpdesks have been created to help out students,” claimed Sridhar.
“We are planning to introduce 135 professional courses. Meanwhile, exams for the first semester under the new education policy have been held and results are in the process of being released as we gear up for the second semester. The placement cell has been activated and 900 students have benefitted from it,” he said.
“We have operational and modernised libraries at all four campuses of the university in Agra. Effective measures are being taken to check incidents of paper leak and Radio Frequency Identification Device (RIFD) are being placed in strong rooms where question papers are kept at centres with control with the university. The affiliation of the college involved in the paper leak in Acchnera has been revoked and an enquiry has been ordered,” said prof Sridhar, adding that the process is on for recruitment of full-time teachers to meet the shortage of faculty members.
