University of Mumbai is short of at least 200 teachers, its library is poorly stocked and research patents have totally dried up.
Mumbai University hopes to make it to top 200 varsities list even with poor infrastructure
MUMBAI: University of Mumbai is short of at least 200 teachers, its library is poorly stocked and research patents have totally dried up. Even the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) feels it is time that the sorry state of affairs is addressed and recommended that the Centre take it over under its wings to bring back the glory of the 150-year-plus institution.
Now, at what could only be mildly termed as its ebb, the university is nursing ambitions to make it to the list of top 200 universities in the world, including the likes of Harvard and Cambridge, and as a beginning, it has allocated a princely sum of Rs10 lakh for a feasibility study.
One of the nine new initiatives announced in the university’s 2008 budget talks about their plan to feature in the much-coveted list. “It is a collective decision taken by university officials. We just want to check if it is feasible,” said pro-vice-chancellor AD Sawant.
He said, “We have to see how we can improve the institute’s endowments, promote research, and improve the quality of patents. Other aspects like vocational guidance, increasing connectivity also will be looked into.”
The ambition has evoked reactions — some bordering on sarcasm — from educationists, most of who feel that although the university features in the world’s top 500 universities, to be among the top 200 is a daunting task.
“Instead of wasting money on a feasibility study, the varsity should look to improving the infrastructure. The budget allocation has been done in a haphazard manner with no committee being formed for the same. The university has to focus more on research than on examinations. Only then it would qualify for a position that it aims to be,” said C Sadashivan, the president of Bombay University College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU).
G Srinivas, head of the western region and deputy secretary of UGC, “applauded” the university for its aspirations. However, he added, “The varsity should focus on improving student-centric facilities and hiring quality faculty.The allocation will be better channelised in providing better infrastructure to the students.”
A vice-chancellor of a university, on condition of anonymity, said, “After the UGC’s proposal, the university will have to reconsider its budget allocation. Even though several universities are now looking at improving their national and international rankings, Mumbai University’s focus should be addressing basic issues like faculty crunch.”
The vice-chancellor further added the university had made a similar allocation for a listing in Bombay Stock Exchange, and spent money for a feasibility study, which has not materialised yet.
However, Snehlata Deshmukh, the former vice-chancellor, said, “Even if the university gains a central university status, the faculty problem might not be resolved as it is an inherent problem. Nobody wants to get into the teaching profession, with better opportunities in other fields. Unless you allocate resources, you will not be able to work towards it.”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}