 HIGHER EDUCATION

In the field of Higher Education, a new major development was the decision to set up a Central University in Shillong named Indira Gandhi University as a teaching and affiliating institution for the benefit of the people of the North Eastern Region. Programmes towards the improvement of the quality of training and research in the universities and strengthening of the Centres of Advanced Study were continued during the year. An account of these and other activities Is given in this chapter.

CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES

ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY

Reconstitution of University Authorities and Bodies

During the year under review the University continued to make all-round progress. According to the provisions of the Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act, 1972, which came into force on 17th June, 1972, various authorities and bodies of the University had to be re- constituted. Immediate steps were therefore taken to adapt the functioning of the University in accordance with the. new Act and the Statutes. The Academic Council, Faculties, Departments of Studies, Boards of Studies etc., were accordingly re-constituted. Departmental Committees of the major Departments (having 20 or more teachers), were also constituted. The Deans of the Faculties, the Heads of Departments, the Proctor and the Provosts were appointed. The revision of -Ordinances and Regulations of the University to bring them in line with the provisions of the Act and the Statutes has been taken in hand. The Draft

Ordinances are now under the consideration of the Academic Council/Executive Council. Necessary steps to constitute the Court, the Executive Council, the Students Council etc. have been taken. Draft Ordinance relating to the Electoral Colleges in respect of these authorities are ready for consideration-of the Council.

Students Enrolment

The total number of students on the rolls of the University rose this year from 9,335 to 9,808. There are about 110 students who belong to scheduled castes.

Halls of Residence

The number of students admitted to the various Halls of Residence also increased. Though a new Hall of Residence (Mohd. Habib Hall) for 375 students was commissioned this year, it did not afford adequate relief and many students had to be refused admission in the University on account of lack of accommodation in the various Halls of Residence. The Halls of Residence (8 for men and 2 for women) provided accommodation for 5,316 students. In order to check the increase in the number of students under the Non-resident Students Centre, more students were attached to various Halls of Residence.

National Service Scheme and N.C.C.

The enrolment of the students under the National Service Scheme rose from 1,100 to 1,220, the target initially suggested by the Ministry of Education & Social Welfare. The N.S.S. assisted three voluntary organisations viz. (1) Balbiradri Society, Aligarh, (2) Community Centre for Women and Children and (3) Mahila Kalyan Samaj. The Rural Community Centre at Singharpur functioning under the auspices of N.S.S. made further progress. During the week long celebration of the twenty-fifth Anniversary of Independence, several cultural festivals and get-togethers were organised by the N.S.S. with the active cooperation and participation of the local Colleges also.

Enrolment in the National Cadet Corps was not encouraging. However, measures have been adopted to attract mote students for N.C.C. training. On various important occasions, the Cadets took active part in the celebrations.

Curricular Expansion

Measures to stabilise the Semester System, introduced in the year 1967 for graduate and post-graduate courses, were taken. The continuous regular internal assessment by way of sessional works, practicals, laboratory training etc. have been found very useful and successful. Necessary steps to streamline the system on the basis of comments received from teachers, seminars organised by different groups, departments, on the system were taken.

With the help of the National Council for Science Education, the Faculty of Science introduced a scheme to optimise the creative ability of under-graduate Physics students. This is breaking new grounds in developing teaching methods to encourage imagination, speculation and divergent thinking in general, which may produce the over-all boldness of thought which is necessary for new inventions, discoveries and synthesis.

The Faculty of Science arranged a number of short-term courses to train research personnel of the University and of other Institutions in the use of the computer obtained by the University a few years back.

The new Department of Ilmul Advia which offers a postgraduate course in doctorate of Unani Medicine (DUM) has been established under the Faculty of Medicine. An internship programme of six months for the B.U.M.M.S. students of A.K. Tibbiya College has been made compulsory so that the practical/ clinical training given to these students may enable them to work effectively in rural areas.

A Department of Business Administration offering Master's Degree in Business Administration has also been established under the Faculty of Commerce.

In view of the importance of vocational training and joboriented courses, the following professional courses have been started on an inter-departmental basis, as an experimental project with the approval of the University Grants Commission:

1. Diploma in Punch and Machine Operation.

2. Diploma in Museology.

3. Diploma in Pest Control.

4. Diploma in Company Law, Banking and Insurance.

5. Diploma in Labour Law and Labour Relation.

6. Diploma in Laboratory Technology (Physical and Chemical).

7. Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (Clinical, Bio-chemistry).

8. Diploma in Laboratory Technology (Radiology).

9. Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (Microbiology and Immunology).

Realising the need and demand for scientific exploration and exploitation of ground-water in the country, the University has approved the introduction of a post-M.Sc. Diploma in GeoHydrology in the Department of Geology.

Seminars and Symposia

The Department of Urdu organised a re-orientation course in Urdu' Language and Literature for teachers of Degree and Intermediate Colleges under the UGC Scheme from 1st June, 1972 to 1st July, 1972 and 28 teachers attended the course. The Department also organised a number of seminars. A seminar on the Art and Thought of Iqbal was held from 22nd to 25th February, 1973.

The Department of Philosophy celebrated Sri Aurobindo Centenary on 7th and 8th October, 1972. A seminar on Analytical Philosophy was also held on 26th November, 1972.

The Department of English proposes to celebrate John Donne's Centenary in February, 1973.

The Department of Geography organised an All India Winter Institute in Geography from 12th November to 2nd December 1972 and 54 delegates from different parts of the country attended it.

The Department of Geology organised a lecture series by Prof. E. S. Hills, F.R.S., an eminent Structural Geologist. About 60 delegates from various places attended the lectures.

The Department of Chemistry organised a symposium sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission on 'Inorganic Structural Chemistry' in collaboration with the Chemistry Section of the Zakir Husain Engineering College.

The Department of Physics organised a 'Research Seminar on Speech and Hearing' from December. 27, 1972 to January 10, 1973 in which eminent scientists of India and abroad participated.

The Faculty of Commerce organised symposias on "Marketing, Financial and Management Problems of Small and Cottage Industries in India" and "Pattern of Growth of Big Company in India since 1951". The Faculty organised an All India Cooperative Week sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Community Development). The programme included among other things an Essay and a Debating Competition.

The XXVI All India Congress of Radiology was held at the J. N. Medical College from 7th to 10th January, 1973. About 200 delegates from all over India and abroad participated in this conference.

A Summer School for training of Laboratory Technicians will be held in June-July, 1973.

It will not be out of place to mention here that the next session of Indian Science Congress is scheduled to be held at Aligarh from 23rd to 9th January, 1974.

Finance

The budget estimates for the current year showed an expenditure of Rs. 322.96 lakhs against an anticipated income of Rs. 312.57 lakhs. The receipt includes maintenance grants of Rs. 2,25.00 lakhs, and other grants of Rs. 18.77 lakhs from the University Grants Commission besides State Government grant of Rs. 2.92 lakhs for schools.

BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY

Creation of New Departments and Courses

During the year under review some new Departments and new courses have been approved for introduction in the University. The University Grants Commission has approved the establishment of the Department of Basic Sciences in the Institute of Technology.

Establishment of a separate Department of Bengali in the Faculty of Arts has been approved.

Proposals for the introduction of following new courses have been approved during the year under review:-

(i) Diploma Course in Journalism.

(ii) Physical Education Course.

(iii) Post-graduate Course in Painting.

(iv) Diploma Course in Linguistics.

Special Assistance to Selected Departments

To meet specialised. requirements of the Department and to fabricate some of the equipment that may be needed and also to commission the existing equipment within the departments into maximum use, the University Grants Commission, on the recommendation of an Expert Committee, has sanctioned special assistance to the extent of Rs. 20,60,000 (N.R.) and Rs. 1,60,000(R), to the departments of Metallurgy, Zoology and Botany of the University. The Non-recurring and recurring assistance to these departments would be spread over a period of five years.

The University Grants Commission has also sanctioned a sum of Rs. 7,31,000 (N.R.) and Rs. 92,500 p.a. (R) for installation and maintenance of equipment acquired under the U.S. 12 Million Dollar Loan Scheme for the period ending 1973-74.

Strengthening of the Employment Information-cum-Advisory Bureau

A sum of Rs. 12,500 has been sanctioned in order to improve the functioning of the Employment Information-cumAdvisory Bureau of the University.

Construction of Students Hostel

The University Grants Commission has agreed to provide assistance for construction of Hostel for 100 students for the Institute of Medical Sciences.

Setting up of a Central Instrumentation Laboratory

The University Grants Commission has accepted in principle the decision of the University to set up a Central Instrumentation Service Laboratory as a collaborative effort between the Institute of Technology, Institute of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Science with the intention of avoiding duplication and making the best use of scarce resources.

Construction of New Buildings

The University Grants Commission has also approved, inter-alia, the construction of the following building works at the estimated costs mentioned against each:

1. 550 bedded ward in hospital Rs. 21,55,000.

2. Teachers Hostel Rs. 8,91,550.

3. Building for the Department for Pharmaceutics, I.T., B.H.U. Rs. 1,29,800.

4. Building for the Department of Tele, Electronics, I.T., B.H.U. Rs. 2,51,640.

5. Amenities Scheme (Canteen Bldg.) Rs. 1,20,350.

6. Metallurgy Department Extension. Rs. 1,98,800.

Besides, a number of buildings, including teacher's quarters (26 numbers), staff quarters, Students Health Centre, girls hostel for 100 girls, boys hostel for 220 boys, and, P.G. Hostel for Agricultural College are nearing completion.

Financial Assistance to Research Scholars

The University has decided to extend financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 500 to research scholars who are not recipient of any scholarship.

Reservation of Seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

From the session 1972-73 in matters of admission to different faculties of the University, 10 per cent of the total number of seats in each course has been reserved for candidates belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Part-time Employment to Students

The pressure from poor and needy students for providing part-time employment has been on the increase. The University has been endeavouring to find out avenues for providing more

part-time employment to these students. Such appointments are generally made in the office of the Chief Proctor, Central Library, B.H.U. Press and other University Departments.

Exemption of Physically Handicapped Students from Payment of Fees

The University has decided to exempt the Physically incapacitated and blind students from payment of fees. In addition to the above facility, books will be given to them free of cost.

The University has decided to give financial help in varying measures equivalent to full freeship/half freeship to students of the drought affected areas.

Scholarships to Meritorious Students

Proposal regarding institution of scholarship to all first divisioners admitted to different courses is also under consideration.

Students Participation in Administration

The Executive Council of the University at its meeting held on 11-11-1972 resolved that a Senior Research Scholar of the Department, who obtained the highest marks and is not a candidate himself, be associated in every Departmental Selection Committee as Student observer. It has also suggested that provision be made for student participation in other spheres also, such as curriculum, re- construction, admission, freeship, scholarship, games and hostel management. etc.

Creation of Sri Aurobindo Visiting Professorship, etc.

The University Grants Commission has also approved the proposal of the University for the creation of Sri Aurobindo Visiting Professorship at the Centre of Advanced Study in Philosophy of the University.

In commenmoration of the bi-centenary of Raja Rammohun Roy, the University has founded one Raja Rammohun Roy Professorship of Social History.

Appointment of Visiting Professors

The following eminent personnel have been appointed as Visiting Professors:

1. Prof. C. Dwarkanath, Former Adviser in Indian Medicine, Ministry of Health, Government of India, as Visiting Professor in Basic principles of Ayurveda.

2. Dr. (Padma Bhushan) Braham Prakash, Director, Metallurgy Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay as Visiting Professor in Metallurgy.

3. Prof. N.R. Roy, Member, Pay Commission, as Visiting Professor in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology.

Scheme for Writing University-level Books/Monographs

Five teachers of the University have been selected under the scheme of writing University-level books/monographs. The University Grants Commission have provided them a fellowship of the value of Rs. 500/- p.m. and a contingency grant of Rs. 2,000/- p.a.

Scheme for Financial Assistance towards Research Work

The U.G.C. selected 28 teachers of this University and provided financial assistance to them for individual research work. The assistance ranges from Rs. 500/- to Rs. 1,500/- to each of these teachers.

12 Research Projects were assigned to the University during the year under review by the Indian National Science Academy, I.C.A.R. and C.S.I.R.

Scholarships and Fellowships

Apart from the renewal of large number of research scholarship and fellowships, nearly 160 Research Scholarships and fellowships of the value of Rs. 250/- p.m. and Rs. 300/- p.m. are being awarded to research scholars from the block grant and assistance received from the U.G.C.