With grand plans, new VC assumes office in JNU

Knowledge-generation and thrust on research are two of the key areas that will help Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) become one of the top universities in the world, said Sudhir Kumar Sopory, who took over as the new vice-chancellor of JNU on Friday.

Knowledge-generation and thrust on research are two of the key areas that will help Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) become one of the top universities in the world, said Sudhir Kumar Sopory, who took over as the new vice-chancellor of JNU on Friday.

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Sopory said he aims to convert JNU into one of the top universities of the world. Sopory succeeded BB Bhattacharya, who was the VC from 2005 to 2010.

“There needs to be significant changes in the quality and quantity of research. We need to develop common research programmes and encourage education with value and purpose," added Sopory, who before assuming the office of VC was the group leader at the International Centre for genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. An eminent plant molecular biologist, Sopory began his career in 1973 as a faculty member at the School of Life Sciences in JNU.

Among the other changes that the new VC seeks to bring in are transparency in administrative policies, improving ways of communication with students to encourage them to attend classes, rewarding good teachers and providing equal opportunity to gender and diversity.

“Inter-disciplinarity across courses needs to be encouraged for students to help them fathom their hidden talent.”

He also said the university needs to enhance fundraising.

“The education policies of the present government give a lot of importance to higher education. JNU should become competitive to attract the funds.”

Sopory who was the first hostel warden of the first JNU hostel, Kaveri, said he would ensure that besides opening new hostels, the present ones would be upgraded and provided with latest facilities like wi-fi connectivity.

Speaking about the controversy regarding the reservation issue of Other Backward Classes, he said JNU has complied with the court orders and would look for ways and means to implement the reservation better.

About the students’ union elections being not

held for the past few years he said, he would like to see the students union back in action and wants the university to produce good politicians, as in the past.