THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 29: Sixteen years and three convocations! It’s the report card of the Nilamber Pitamber University (NPU) Daltonganj (Palamu) that came to function in the year 2009.
The third convocation is due on October 6. Officers and staff are working even on Sundays and other gazetted holidays.
There is a great apprehension of police making a post midnight knocking down at some student activists house to keep them off from the function to be graced by the Governor cum Chancellor of Jharkhand and its state universities in order to scuttle any scope of nuisance or disturbance in the Chancellor’s function here. No police officer is any ready to confirm it.
However, there has been an instance like this in the past convocation when police have frisked a couple of student activists during the visit of the Governor cum Chancellor here in Daltonganj.
Security Apprehensions and University Preparations
Amidst such apprehensions and allegations of the student bodies, the university is making an all-out effort to have a peaceful and graceful convocation ceremony on October 6. It’s exam department, led by the Controller of Exams Dr Ajit Seth and Officer on Special Duty Dr Gaurav Srivastav and team are leaving nothing to chance.
The campus is being spruced up. Grasses and bushes in the stadium, which is the venue, are being weeded and hoed.
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Space has been earmarked for the guard of honour to be given to the Chancellor of the universities of state Santosh Kumar Gangwar by the district police.
However, controversies chase this university like any jinx. The exam department of Nilamber Pitamber University is working too hard as fate of any convocation depends on the efficiency of the exam department.
Dress Code Finalized, Menu Sparks Debate
So is the matter of costume. What to wear by males and females. Girls coming for the degrees in this convocation have been given a choice of saree or salwar, but it must be a spotless white, said the Public Relations Officer Dr Vinita Dixit. Boys are to come in Kurta pyjama only. Teachers too have to come in Kurta pyjama.
Costume is final, but not the menu. It’s debatable. Refreshment packet for the students and others are being debated by the student bodies. A section of students finds the proposed refreshment packet too small and demeaning. The university has planned to offer food packets worth 55 rupees each for a gathering of 2,000 invitees, students and others. The food packet comprises fried delicacies along with sweets. A bottle of water is a complimentary offer with the food packet.
For the VVIPs like the Chancellor and MPs, Ministers, MLAs, Secretaries etc the university is to have a decent plate of food, naturally to come from any reputed hotel etc
VC Defends Food Plan, Budget
Vice Chancellor of the Nilamber Pitamber University, Dr Prof Dinesh Kumar Singh, held a press conference on Sunday.
He spoke quite a good length on this issue of food alone. The VC was in for a surprise when he found the convener of the Food Committee conspicuously absent from the row of officers sitting in the press conference.
“There is a food committee for the convocation. It is to take the final call,” VC, however, tried to explain.
“We have 55 rupees worth packet for 2,000 people each, while for the VVIPs, the food committee is regularly in touch with the posh hotel for quality food and quality service”, added the VC. The cost of the plate of the VVIPs is yet to be finalised.
The VC made it very clear when he said, “A new GST regime has come into effect from September 23. I have given in writing to all concerned to abide by the new rate slabs of the GST for their goods and services to be provided for this convocation. It will be applicable to food coming from the hotel too.”
Following the directive of the Raj Bhavan to maintain strict austerity measures, the budgetary allocation for this convocation is a little over 79 lakhs of rupees.
“It was more than 69 lakhs of rupees for the second convocation. The maiden convocation had seen expenditures to the tune of rupees 57 lakhs. Ours budgetary allocation this convocation is modest and austere,” reiterated the VC.
There is no room for any extravaganza, he repeated.
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Exam Department Under Pressure
The exam department of the university is under tremendous pressure for this convocation. It’s churning out degrees like textile mills, said a student activist.
It’s because 250 to 300 students are lining up every day for pass certificates and degrees in the wake of vacancies of teachers in Jharkhand and Bihar both.
Officer on Special Duty, exam department, Dr Gaurav Srivastav said, “We are meeting this huge demand for pass certificates and degrees at neck-breaking speed.”
“We ask our pass-outs to first apply for the vacancies, but they shouldn’t forget about their convocation. Their presence will be highly appreciated,” reminded the VC.
The Registrar of the Nilamber Pitamber University, Dr Nafis Ahmad, said, “We are working in a coordinated manner with our different teams for the successful conduct of the convocation.”
Gold Medals and Souvenir Planned
A gold medal has come for rupees little over 4,000 rupees only which is the most notable price in times like these when the price of gold is skyrocketing.
“There will be a distribution of 77 gold medals, out of which 5 will be Chancellor’s gold medals”, VC told.
Dr Bimal Kumar Singh informed the press about a bilingual Souvenir to be released on this day of the convocation. The Souvenir is expected to be of around 60 to 64 pages, said the noted English language and literature teacher Dr Bimal Kumar Singh.
Dean of Students Welfare, Dr S K Pandey, assured the mediapersons of proper facilities for the parking of their vehicles.
Vice Chancellor further informed the mediapersons that Raj Bhavan is being duly posted with every detail of the proposed cost and expenditures as part of its policy of transparency and openness.
Student bodies believe that the university still has time and space left for a dialogue between student activists and university officials to break the ice.
