Academician Dr Santosh Kumar Tripathy has hundred irons in the fire and all of them are hot indeed! Gifted with an inventive genius, he has pursued knowledge like a sinking star beyond the utmost horizon of human mind. Among the top list of successful students in 1984 from the Utkal University, he pursued his MPhil degree and subsequently obtained his PhD from the Utkal University in 1991. Currently, he is the Professor of the Department of Personnel Management & Industrial Relations of theUtkalUniversity. He has massively contributed valuable articles to Indian and international journals. He has also piloted many research projects funded by the UGC, Canada Government, DFID, etc. He has added feathers unto the cap of the UtkalUniversity by being member to various committees of Indian and foreign repute.He has held important positions in his career by serving as Senate, Syndicate and Academic Council member, besides being the Director of College Development Council of Utkal University. A number of research scholars have 0completed their MPhil and PhD degrees under his supervision. As a leader among the teachers, he has proved his mettle by being the president of Utkal University Teachers’ Association, general secretary, FOUTA, secretary, UUTA. He has been instrumental in playing a pioneering role in organising national and international seminars at the varsity in order to make it a cultural quarantine. In an interview to The Pioneer, he spoke to Sugyan Choudhury on the many challenges confronting the teaching faculties of varsities of Odisha, ruing for the lackadaisical attitude of the State and Central Governments towards the varsity teachers relating to their genuine grievances.
What are the roles of university teachers to galvanise higher education and research?
Education is the single important instrument for holistic human development and empowerment of citizens of a country. There is need for advancement and application of knowledge for human capital development which is required for ensured economic and social development. Spread of quality education and research through a developed system is obviously desired for developing human capital. Universities stand for the society. Teachers are the backbones of universities. University teachers have started taking responsibility to play meaningful roles in establishing a link between society, politics, economy, culture, science, industry, etc. Teachers now plan to take away the university education from examination and degree awarding mode to knowledge creation and learning mode. With the help of “Rastriya UchatarSikhya Abhiyan”, universities are being restructured for better teaching and research. Emphasis is being given on quality research and learning. Competition for better and quality education is in the agenda of the teachers.Introduction of professional courses, industry interaction and linking education to employability, research infrastructure, access to library, good research journals and creating databases are given priority to make universities more competitive and dynamic.
What are the plans on anvil by the mandarins of university to place one of the universities of India in the midst of 100 top institutions of the world?
The Union HRD Ministry has identified and classified progressive and performing universities/ institutes based on NAAC accreditation and NIRF Ranking. Massive funding for autonomy, infrastructural development, laboratory up gradation, research and innovation, examination reform, quality learning, equity, social outreaching and the like have been extended to these top-grade institutes. Also, the MHRD is creating academic leaders for future academic administration of higher learning institutes by providing them training and exposure at the best institutes of the world.Along with these, teachers of these institutes have developed plans and proposals for intensive research and quality learning. Teachers need to use their wisdom for institution building, creating brilliant faculty, conducting and facilitating indigenous research, enhancing collaborations and exchanges, internalisation, addressing social and contextual issues and creating opportunities for social outreach.
How does collective wisdom of the academicians’ aims at protecting /preserving/defending the excellence of ancient Indian culture in our varsities against the onslaught of Western mania?
History says India is the oldest civilisation with a very rich culture. Indian universities of ancient India such as Nalanda and Takshashila attracted foreign students. The heritage and the monuments illustrate the richness of knowledge of those days. Teachers and researchers were the master advisers to kings. They were given autonomy to use their wisdom to inculcate values in administration and human life.Decline of the education system happened due to several invasions. Gradually, teachers lost their freedom in the use of wisdom. With the onset of the 21st century and wide commercialisation of education, the system has made them mere employees rather than value creators. Teachers should be the saviours of culture and heritage. Through intensive research, they can revive the rich knowledge base that gave identity to India in the global platform as the source of immense knowledge. Each aspect of our culture and heritage needs detail research to help the future generation know about it and to be proud to own it. Indianisation of part of education system, rigorous course on culture and heritage will also help in this revival.
It is observed that qualities of top-ranking teachers are gradually dwindling. Would you please suggest remedial measures?
Teachers, as far as societal respect is concerned, were at the top in any society. Political interference, bureaucratic interference, employee orientation of teachers and replacement of learning by degrees due to heavy commercialisation have brought down the importance of Indian education system and the standard of teachers therein. When foreign universities were trying to enrich their education system in general and university system in particular, Indian universities did not do so. Bright Indian scholars prefer to work outside the country due to lack of developed research infrastructure proper support system including incentives. Teachers in India have been reduced to classroom teachers instead of being good researchers, worried about their salaries instead of quality service delivery.Now of course, with the change in time and due to realisation about importance of education, situation is gradually changing. Government is acting proactively to change the system. To attract quality teachers, attractive salary and required support system are being provided. Proper selection techniques are being adopted to include the best brains in the system. Improvement programmes are being introduced,providing opportunities and initiatives for improving quality of research and teaching along with enhanced scope for collaboration, state-of-art infrastructure, allocation of mentor institution and implementation of feedback mechanism (360° degree feedback) would bring development for teachers. If these best practices continue, the education system can acquire, maintain and develop the best teachers in it.
Rapid politicisation of university campuses is threatening the future of higher education in our country. What’s your considered opinion?
In the name of learning democracy, campuses are politicised.. Winning election has replaced the spirit of competitive and learning atmosphere in the campuses. Hooliganism, violence and bribery are adopted to manage winning election in the campus.Teachers can play a significant role in making campus free from politics. Enforcement of accountable learning system, regularisation of curricular and non-curricular calendar, generating awareness among stakeholders about the ills of politicisation and pseudo-democracy and about benefits of real democracy are the responsibility of teachers.Teachers can play the role of change agent by acting as mentors to students and as mediators to change the status.
How do you give reasons either for State or Central Government’s apathy towards demands of university teachers?
Education is in the Concurrent List, for which none of the governments take sole responsibility to fulfil the demands of teachers. Teachers of the State universities are the worst stuffers. The University Grant Commission recommends guidelines for pay, promotion and other service conditions along with rules for academic developments of teachers. The MHRD and the State Governments take their own time to change and implement the same. Changes at any level destroy the uniformity in application of the UGC guidelines. Many a time, teachers in State universities fight for their own rights. For example, when the superannuation age is 60 in Odisha and university teachers of the State are struggling for its enhancement since 1996. A lot of anomalies in designation of teachers, increments for higher degrees, promotion to higher posts, and implementation of UGC guidelines in toto has forced university teachers to go on protests. The feelings of being treated as “Second Class Citizens” in comparison to their counterparts in other State and Central universities havedemoralised them. This goes against the spirit of camaraderie and best practices in the education system. Teachers in central and private universities are eligible to guide PhD scholars upto the age of 70 where as in Odisha they cease to do so after attaining the age of 60. All these discriminatory practices need to be stopped; and the government needs to be proactive to bring parity in the system. This will attract brilliant minds to the system to accept teaching as a profession.
