THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, Dec. 25: The Nilamber Pitamber University (NPU), set up in 2009, still needs to overcome its perennial problem, i.e. adhocism.

Right now, it has an acting vice-chancellor. There is no pro-vice chancellor here. It has in-charge registrar, in-charge finance officer, and in-charge controller of exams.

Dr Tapan Kumar Shandilya is the acting vice chancellor of Nilamber Pitamber University. He is primarily the VC of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University Ranchi.

Sitting 170 km away from Daltonganj in Ranchi, Dr Shandilya runs the NPU. Now, with the scrapping of the panel of VCs for the four universities by  Governor-cum-Chancellor C P Radhakrishnan, the NPU is set to be run by an acting VC for another three months and by the time the panel of the VCs is ready, the Election Commission of India will be overseeing it.

An acting VC has his own limitations and curbs. For any major policy decision or sizeable financial expenditures, an acting VC is to seek approval/permission from the Raj Bhavan Ranchi.

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Today, the Jharkhand Story correspondent spoke to the acting VC, Dr Tapan Kumar Shandilya, to find out how he manages things in NPU with such a fleet of ‘in-charge’ officials. The excerpts:

Q: The NPU lives on adhocism. Why?

A: Yes, it’s adhocism here. It’s a stop-gap arrangement. We are looking forward to the JPSC recommending us appointees to this university. I know we are here in the NPU in ‘Tukrey tukrey’ (piecemeal) just for want of regular commissioned officers to the offices of registrar, finance and exams.

Q: Your in-charge registrar, in-charge finance officer, etc, are just for six months here or until regular appointees come to their places. How do you see it?

A: I am happy with the way the in-charge registrar is working. The files which were almost junked are in official circulation. Teachers and non-teaching personnel now have fewer grievances. Their long pending issues are being settled or attended to. There is now motion and momentum in this office. The examination department is gearing up to overcome the backlog of examinations.

Q: Adhocism is never a good sign for any institution. For NPU, it is more undesirable. What is your comment?

A: I believe in working for odder situations. Oddities give you the strength to fight challenges. The NPU is a challenging university.

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Q: You sit in Ranchi for your Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University there. How do you then see this NPU in Daltonganj?

A: I come to NPU once a week. Sometimes twice a week. I am available online to my registrar, finance officer and others. Instructions and orders are given by me online. Important files, answering queries from the Raj Bhavan or the HRD, etc, are met with extreme exigency.

Q: So, as you say, you are available online to your workforce, but what about students? How are you connected to the students?

A: I have launched the monthly programme Chhatra Samwaad. I held its maiden hearing in the JS college Daltonganj only this December 19. The students aired their problems quite freely. They had just two issues. Ease of admission, timely conducting of the exams, and timely publication of results. I agree with the students that timely examination and timely publication of results are a device to overcome late academic sessions.

Q : Chhatra Samwaad will be held in the affiliated colleges too?

A: Yes, very much. The Chhatra Samwaad will not be any constituent college students’ prerogative. All affiliated colleges in this university will have this one-to-one with the VC. I will be attending Chhatra Samwaad in the affiliated colleges.

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