Once again the time has come for the Nagas to anticipate a new Vice Chancellor (VC) of Nagaland (Central) University. Some Naga intellectuals may have started praying for it but most might not have thought, even a bit, about it. Selection of a new VC is the talk of the day in the intellectual arena and by now MHRD might have already studied the pros and cons of the problems in the University. Nagaland University has witnessed successive VCs trying their level best to solve multitude of problems but it keeps on multiplying with time. It is high time the Govt. of India assign someone who has a wide knowledge of hill people and the Naga culture and tradition. Recently in a meeting with the Search Committee the forum has appealed in this direction considering the complexities and intricacies that has clouded the university.
It is the society and the community that play vital role in decision making in a participatory approach. Democracy has its base in administration beyond the limits of Naga tradition. And therefore, many a time, autocracy and dictatorial form of governance and administration fail to perform as desired in our society.
First formal education was introduced in Nagaland through the American missionaries during the late 1870s and that is just little more than a century. Hence, the level of standard is still very low. However, the sincere and mammoth efforts made by the Naga leaders during this span of 140 years of education in Nagaland, a level up to the status of university has come up of late which indeed is a very significant achievement. Thanks to serious and kind considerations of Late. Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Their immense affection towards the value of the unique tradition and regard towards the way of life of Naga people is written in the sands of time.
Very unfortunately a compatibility issue in regard to that of administration and management of the nascent Nagaland University sprung up right from the very beginning. Successive Vice Chancellors with very high profile and experiences have failed to fulfil the desires and dreams of Nagas. The contrast and the wound so difficult to cure had physically been experienced by the scholars, teachers, staffs and the innocent Nagas as a whole.
In the most actual sense, the path to development of Nagaland University is crystal clear but the resources available are ignored and the initial foundations are weakened partially by the ignorance of the local people and the rest by the total advantage taken against the ignorance of the local people by the university heads (not sparing a single VC) that is tarnishing the true essence of higher learning. It is indeed very unfortunate that the successive VCs and other high ranking officials in the university administration have its highest deficiency in terms of capability of performing in harmonious and congenial combination in the University administration and management during the last two decades and this has created an irreparable void.
Considering the culture, the tradition and most importantly the feasibility and adaptability to its geographical settings, a unique management of the University by somebody not necessarily too high a profile but with passion to hear the cry of the University is asserted. As it is imperative and learned from the past two decade of sufferings that the mainland format of management, policy and administration is not compatible here in our context at this point of time resulting to tag VCs of NU to be the worst VCs in the country.
To cite a simple example out of many, a University management involves a galaxy of human resources in the bottom down hierarchy of the system of administration. Their training and capacity building is vital but this is an area that seems to be overlooked. A VC with attitude of status and ego sensitivity can never be able to trace out the missing link.
The local intellectuals, comprising mostly the teaching community of NU at some point of time, despite all the odds started to find faults and point fingers presenting mostly in the form of “agitations” perhaps without much positive outcome. This could have cleverly translated into some better alternatives focusing on the positive and progressive growth of the university but that is an area where we are still lacking. When we talk about growth, the VC alone does not hold the sole responsibility but even without a VC we can think about progressive growth, and this is where the scholars and teachers failed to deliver their fullest during the last many precious years. We seem to stick so much to rules and ordinances but it failed to do justice to whom we thought it should bind, and this is an area where we should think seriously.
When very large universities can be run with efficiency, why is it proving so difficult to find a man who, in the eyes and standard of the simple Naga is GOOD enough to run this small university of ours?
Can the honourable members of present Search Committee for Nagaland University Vice Chancellor pick up the one that is born for this?
As the search for New VC for NU begins, the Forum call upon all Churches and Civil Societies to pray for divine intervention that justice is done by the Search Committee and renewed spirit be filled within the teachers, staffs and scholars of the university.
(With inputs from nursf_nu@yahoogroups.co.in, the official online platform of the Nagaland University Research Scholars Forum)
It is the society and the community that play vital role in decision making in a participatory approach. Democracy has its base in administration beyond the limits of Naga tradition. And therefore, many a time, autocracy and dictatorial form of governance and administration fail to perform as desired in our society.
First formal education was introduced in Nagaland through the American missionaries during the late 1870s and that is just little more than a century. Hence, the level of standard is still very low. However, the sincere and mammoth efforts made by the Naga leaders during this span of 140 years of education in Nagaland, a level up to the status of university has come up of late which indeed is a very significant achievement. Thanks to serious and kind considerations of Late. Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Late Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Their immense affection towards the value of the unique tradition and regard towards the way of life of Naga people is written in the sands of time.
Very unfortunately a compatibility issue in regard to that of administration and management of the nascent Nagaland University sprung up right from the very beginning. Successive Vice Chancellors with very high profile and experiences have failed to fulfil the desires and dreams of Nagas. The contrast and the wound so difficult to cure had physically been experienced by the scholars, teachers, staffs and the innocent Nagas as a whole.
In the most actual sense, the path to development of Nagaland University is crystal clear but the resources available are ignored and the initial foundations are weakened partially by the ignorance of the local people and the rest by the total advantage taken against the ignorance of the local people by the university heads (not sparing a single VC) that is tarnishing the true essence of higher learning. It is indeed very unfortunate that the successive VCs and other high ranking officials in the university administration have its highest deficiency in terms of capability of performing in harmonious and congenial combination in the University administration and management during the last two decades and this has created an irreparable void.
Considering the culture, the tradition and most importantly the feasibility and adaptability to its geographical settings, a unique management of the University by somebody not necessarily too high a profile but with passion to hear the cry of the University is asserted. As it is imperative and learned from the past two decade of sufferings that the mainland format of management, policy and administration is not compatible here in our context at this point of time resulting to tag VCs of NU to be the worst VCs in the country.
To cite a simple example out of many, a University management involves a galaxy of human resources in the bottom down hierarchy of the system of administration. Their training and capacity building is vital but this is an area that seems to be overlooked. A VC with attitude of status and ego sensitivity can never be able to trace out the missing link.
The local intellectuals, comprising mostly the teaching community of NU at some point of time, despite all the odds started to find faults and point fingers presenting mostly in the form of “agitations” perhaps without much positive outcome. This could have cleverly translated into some better alternatives focusing on the positive and progressive growth of the university but that is an area where we are still lacking. When we talk about growth, the VC alone does not hold the sole responsibility but even without a VC we can think about progressive growth, and this is where the scholars and teachers failed to deliver their fullest during the last many precious years. We seem to stick so much to rules and ordinances but it failed to do justice to whom we thought it should bind, and this is an area where we should think seriously.
When very large universities can be run with efficiency, why is it proving so difficult to find a man who, in the eyes and standard of the simple Naga is GOOD enough to run this small university of ours?
Can the honourable members of present Search Committee for Nagaland University Vice Chancellor pick up the one that is born for this?
As the search for New VC for NU begins, the Forum call upon all Churches and Civil Societies to pray for divine intervention that justice is done by the Search Committee and renewed spirit be filled within the teachers, staffs and scholars of the university.
(With inputs from nursf_nu@yahoogroups.co.in, the official online platform of the Nagaland University Research Scholars Forum)
