E-Paper
AU V-C, UGC brass discuss revival plan
ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY (AU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe has for the first time shared his vision and plans to revive the 119-year-old varsity with the University Grants Commission's (UGC) top officials.
ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY (AU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe has for the first time shared his vision and plans to revive the 119-year-old varsity with the University Grants Commission's (UGC) top officials.
With the help of a high-tech multimedia presentation at New Delhi on Friday, Prof Harshe presented a time-bound and a detailed plan in this regard and also submitted a proposal of Rs 45 crore for the 2006-07 financial year against the promised UGC allocation of Rs 40 crore on the occasion.
Backed by AU Physics department's Dr Avinash Chandra Pandey and varsity engineer NK Singh, Prof Harshe informed the UGC that the varsity plans to complete drawing up a comprehensive master plan for its different campuses within a period of five months. As for the proposed construction of hostel annexes, the VC informed that the university plans to add 120 rooms in its existing PCB Hostel and 100 rooms to its AN Jha Hostel in a period of 14 months.
Similarly, for the construction of the administrative block and the building for the Institute of Professional Studies at the cost of Rs 7 crore and Rs 60 lakhs respectively, the varsity plans to complete the task within a period of 18 months. As per the details presented, the varsity plans to complete the task of extension of Biochemistry and Home Science Departments in a mere 6 months while for construction of 50 faculty and 50 staff quarters, it has fixed a period of 12 to 18 months to complete the entire work.
Clearly treating the allocation of Rs 40 crore as just an instalment of much bigger grants that would be coming to the varsity in the coming years, the VC has earmarked Rs 1 crore for developing parking facility, beefing up security and strengthening internal communication facility and constructing boundary walls with restricted points of entry in his plan—a task that is to be completed in just 10 months.
As per the 'Revive AU' plans, varsity will be spending Rs 3.50 crore on setting up of a 33/11 KV dedicated power sub-station on the campus for uninterrupted power supply to be readied in 8 months. Realising the poor state of the varsity's heritage buildings, the VC has shared his plans to spend Rs 4 crore during an 18-month period on their facelift.
During his New Delhi presentation, the VC also apprised the UGC officials of the need for faculty positions in many of the varsity's newly formed departments like Biotechnology and Centre for Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences.
A lot of importance is being given to the VC's May 19 presentation as if sanctioned and completed as per the time-bound programme, the varsity would definitely be set on the firm path of revival.
