On the last open day of his five-year-old term as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof. Sudhir Kumar Sopory in an exclusive interview with The Pioneer spoke about his initiatives of making the varsity premier by giving equal opportunities to all. Saying that the varsity has democratic traditions of voicing different opinions, Sopory said we certainly do not want anything on the campus which will reflect any “anti-national” feelings or “anti-religious” acts. Excerpts:
Your term is going to end this month. How has been your journeyIJ
I never thought, I have to take up this position. It more or less came as a surprise to me. I had been in this university for 22 years and now it is time to give back. The five years of my tenure, I will take it as a great learning experience. Sometimes, one make mistakes but I think mistakes also teach you a lot that adds further to your experience. I took this position not as a Vice-Chancellor but as a teacher, as a colleague, as a companion to all the stakeholders in this university, including students and teachers. I also had open days with them to discuss academics and various issues. They can tell you whether I passed in my attempts or not.
You never came under direct attack of students’ unionsIJ What was your strategyIJ
It was not direct but there were issues. It was never personal because I think I met them. There was no occasion when I would not talk to them. And also, when you find that their demands are genuine, it is the responsibility of the administration to address them. Wherever it was not possible, I told them I can’t. It was a straight-forward talk. They understand that I am not a Vice-Chancellor, I am a teacher.
When you joined as the V-C, you talked about several dreams and changes. How much of that have you been able to achieveIJ
Somebody from the media had asked me what was your agenda and I replied I have none. Agenda will develop by talking to people. We were able to get NAAC accreditation. We were also able to obtain university potential status from UGC. It got us `60 crore extra for academic activity.
What are the strengths of JNU which could contribute in taking the country forwardIJ
JNU is a university which produces leaders. They will hold the top positions in the country and drive the agenda by taking education forward. They have contributed in the area of academics as vice chancellors, bureaucracy, international affairs and parliamentarians. You should come to the top to drive, innovate and contribute. JNU is not a place where we produce technicians but thinkers.
Political activism in the campus is often criticised. How do you look at itIJ
This institution has democratic traditions. Every opinion should be heard, not within but even outside. One may agree or may not agree with the opinion but people have a right to give their views to certain issues. Certainly, we do not want anything on the campus which will reflect any anti-national feelings or against any religion. It is a cooperative living on campus. We celebrate all religions and national days. I think outside people have a right to attack JNU and JNU has a right to express its opinion.
Did you ever think or suggest that JNU off-campus should be established somewhere else as wellIJ
I have floated the idea in the academic council that it is the time we should look at campuses outside. We got an offer from the Bihar Government to establish a campus there. But right now there is no consensus on this. Many people felt, let’s not dilute JNU. I felt we can regulate things properly but why not reach out.
How do you look at the attempt of scrapping non-net fellowshipIJ
Your students opposed it. I was called by the UGC over it. I personally felt the fellowships must continue. Government also let it continue. I am in favour of continuation of these fellowships.
How do you look at the current scenario of higher education in the countryIJ
Higher education system needs a lot of rework. We must have high caliber faculty. There should be new courses, new methodology as higher education universities are meant to create new knowledge. I think many universities especially the State universities have not been doing well in research. There may be a few individuals who may be doing well but the system is not very supportive. I think good faculty is only passionate about teaching and research. You can always motivate students.