By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The Committee of Deans constituted by Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis to examine in detail the grievances of the University students submitted its report yesterday and the Vice Chancellor has issued orders to take prompt action as suggested in the Deans’ report.
While expressing his firm belief in the democratic values, Prof. Azis ordered for the fast and early solution to the genuine grievances of the students in line with the glorious traditions of the University.
The report exhorted the Deans, Chairmen, Provosts and other functionaries to look into each and every grievance of the students and work for their solution expeditiously in order to put everything in order before the re-opening of the University.
The grievances of the students covered a wide sphere of residential life and academic activities of the University. The demand for restoration of Students Union, to 24 hours canteen facility, lack of proper parking space in residential halls, absence of additional electric points in hostel rooms for mobile charging, heater and ironing clothes, raising of boundary wall of IG Hall, construction of road from Qila road to the Department of Wild Life Sciences, installation of water cooler in the corridor leading to the Department of Persian and Sanskrit, internet facility in the departments, installation of photocopy machine in the seminar libraries, removal of jammers and use of mobile in Maulana Azad Library were some of the common issues the students brought to the notice of the committee.
The students also emphasized the need for keeping book issue section of M A Library open on Sundays, more computer units in the Computer Centre, increasing dining hall timings, training of proctorial guards to properly behave with the students, canteen facility in each hall, allowing food facility to the wait listed students in halls, common menu of food in all halls, campus placement for all the students completing master courses and increasing students’ interaction with the Vice Chancellor.
They also demanded allowing parents and relatives of the students to meet and stay with their wards for two-three days, reducing application fee for PhD courses, promotion of freedom of expression in all halls of residence especially in girls’ halls, improving cleanliness in toilets of the hostels, speeding up the construction work of auditorium at JN Medical College, construction of mosque and the common room at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Hall, increased stipend for interns, modification in the composition of grievance committee allowing students to elect their representatives and the raids by university administration should not be made only in hostels.
The grievance redressal committee report states, said Prof. N. A. K. Durrani, Media Advisor to V-C, that the surprise visit of the Vice Chancellor, Proctor, DSW or the Provosts should not be considered as raid. Its main purpose is to interact with common students and to prevent anti-social elements and unauthorized persons to take shelter in the University. Such regular visits were in the interest of the students.
The committee asked the University Engineer to prepare estimate for the construction work where necessary. Similarly the finance department has also been asked to prepare an estimate for meeting out the demands of the students that have financial implications. The report has however indicated that the work having financial implications may require approval of the concerned bodies.
Regarding the creation of additional electric points and use of heater in hostel rooms, the MIC, Electricity has been requested to consult the provost of halls to arrange two additional points for heater and one point for ironing clothes for every 50 students. The committee also suggested installation of electric meters to monitor the consumption of electricity used for this purpose.
On installation of water coolers, increase in the number of computers and availability of latest editions of text books in the Maulana Azad Library the Deans Committee directs the concerned authorities to resolve the issues on fast track basis. The demand of allowing use of mobile in the M A Library and removal of jammers was however was not favoured in the larger interest of the majority of students who need tranquility while studying in the library.
The issue of Students’ Union was also examined and the committee observed that the University stands by its commitment to restore academic environment in the campus as a priority and that the Students’ Union shall be restored as per the recommendations of Lyngdoh Committee when a conducive atmosphere is created.
To endure better security for the students the Committee asked the Proctor of the University to depute adequate security on the road leading to Allama Iqbal Hall from behind the University Polytechnic and the road behind the Architectural Department. The Proctor was also requested to conduct special training programmes for the security personnel of the University to sensitize them on the skills required for dealing with the students. The committee observed that if needed special workshops and training sessions may be arranged for this purpose.
The committee of Deans suggested the concerned chairmen of departments to take appropriate measures for ensuring internet facilities to the students and pointed out that the advancement of information communication technology in the University has been a core agenda of the Vice Chancellor Prof. Azis and the University has already achieved great success in providing high speed internet facility to every department and halls of residence to enable the students to access the online information.
Displaying a favourable attitude to the demand of providing canteen facility in every hall and increasing the timings of the University Canteen, the Deans’ committee suggested that the provost of the halls should make all necessary arrangement to start canteen in their halls up to 12 midnight. It also said that the timings of University Canteen may be increased to a little more after due consultation with the contractor.
It was suggested that the reduction of fee for PhD application form may be put into the agenda for next Academic Council meeting. The matter pertaining to the stay of parents or relatives with their wards for two-three days, the committee stated that the parents may be allowed to visit their wards and provision of their stay be made in the University Guest House. The students were advised to apply for the guest house facility for their stay on the usual terms and conditions of the University. It also recommends setting up of a visitors’ room in halls of residence by the concerned provost to avert any inconvenience to the visitors.