V-C is leading from the front to usher in new culture untouched by divisive politics. Sangeeta Pranvendra says he’s is off to a flier start & if students complement his style & technique, it can revamp the image of varsity.
It was usual Thursday afternoon at the Rajasthan University. And at the department of business administration the lesson being taught was about marketing management; the teacher was none other than the newly appointed vice chancellor professor RK Kothari.
At a university where poor attendance is the norm, all chairs were occupied and an excited lot awaited the VC when he reached to teach the MCom students as per his prior announcement.
The entire exercise was a step towards confidence building and the interaction was aimed at establishing a better bond between the students and the varsity administration.
On the surface the VC delivered an hour-long lecture on about principles of marketing management, but the lesson being delivered had much more. Prof Kothari spoke to the students about the importance of honesty and morality in all aspects of life, even marketing. “All activities in life will be effective, only if they are ethically done, especially when they involve people. Ethics are a must even when one is marketing,” said Prof Kothari to his class.
Rajasthan University has over the last several years developed into an institution where there is extreme polarization among the students on party lines. With political parties increasingly projecting varsity electoral poll results as their own support base, there is deviation from educational activities. More hungama and less educational activities is turning to be the norm at the seventy year old RU.
The university also faces allegations of teachers not taking classes seriously or regularly. But with the VC stepping out of his office among the students is a message to not just students but also teachers; that he means business.
The VC effortlessly switched from the international scenario of marketing to the importance of inculcating self discipline and ethics in life. He called upon them to inculcate reading habits. “Spend time in the library. Books are the best guides one can get,” said Prof Kothari and even handed them a list of books that they should look up before the next class.
There have been earlier VCs who have delivered the occasional lecture but Prof Kothari, a teacher for 38 years, has announced a fixed time table of the classes he would be taking regularly. Kothari himself feels there is need to establish a connect with the students.
NEW MAN AT THE HELM
Prof Dr RK Kothari, the vice chancellor of Rajasthan University has himself been a teacher in the business administration department of RU for 38 years. He has been the head of the department and also the dean of the commerce department. It is a well known fact about prof Kothari that he always reaches class on time, is well prepared and never leaves before time.
OTHER VCS WHO TOOK TO THE CLASSROOM
There have been other VCs of the Rajasthan University who have delivered a lecture each for the students. They include KL Sharma who addressed them on social inequility and IAS officer Madhukar Gupta on global recession. But these lectures were not on subjects that were part of the syllabus. Nor did they, as VC designate a time table for themselves.
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