By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Ex-IAS Najeeb Jung who assumed office of Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia succeeding historian Prof Musheerul Hasan set students’ welfare on the top of his priorities as head of the central university while interacting with the media yesterday.
“My first priority will be welfare of students: to create study facilites, games facilities and coaching centres so that our students could succeed civil services examinations and become IAS and IPS officers in more numbers,” said Jung who joined Civil Services in the 1973 batch, served as District Magistrate for 10 years before moving to the Petroleum Ministry.
“Our students are coming here from mufassils and remote towns like Bareily and Azamgarh. They have high expectations. We have to build confidence and raise its levels among them. We have to care for them,” said Jung while interacting with the media. He took various questions from the press and appeared confident in answers.
On restoration of students’ union in Jamia he said: Prima facie I am not against students unions. Government instructions are there. In normal situation I don’t think there should not be unions. But as for Jamia, there has been no such elections for last four-five years. I have not studied the background of unions here. I have not met students representatives. So I am yet to take a stand on it.
About his view on Batla House encounter he said: the government report has come on Batla House and the case is in court. I don’t think V-C of Jamia has much to say in it. But when asked pointedly if he is satisfied with the NHRC report that has given clean chit to the police for the encounter, Jung denied giving any answer, saying he has not read the report. When asked if he will stand by the Jamia students who have been arrested and made accused in the blasts case, he said when I came to know that injustice has been done to my students I will extend my support to them.
On the minority character of Jamia Millia, Jung said he had no clear stand on it right now. He said he will have to talk to the government, the community and the Jamia community – students and teachers.
Asked if academicians are more able to run academic institutions than ex-civil servants or technocratrs, Jung said: many world class universities are being run by non-academicians, many politicians after retirement are running such institution. If one is sincere to his job and has been through the mill he can succeed.