Open Letter to HRD minister By anonymous student of Pantnagar University

From the pioneer of the green revolution to old degraded buildings, Pantnagar University has definitely seen the drastic downfall between last 50 years. Once at the pinnacle of zenith to nowhere Pantnagar has lost its charm of being one of the best universities in India. Earlier things were different in world’s second largest university, which is present in footsteps of Himalayas. Something has changed for sure maybe students, professors, administration or being a state university of small state Uttarakhand.

Technology has changed drastically from past 50 years but it seems that in Pantnagar clocks have stopped. Still, you can find students learning curriculum that was changed in the late 1970s or you can find laboratories where machines were bought 30 years ago. Unfortunately, these machines and curriculum are now out of date but they do tell about the magnificent history of Pantnagar University.

In earlier times when in India we used to have Gurukuls, Gurus were treated next to God. During that time Gurus not only used to teach children but also used to be their Guardians. Unfortunately, this system has changed a lot. Especially in Pantnagar you can easily hear some professor indirectly torturing student every day. They talk about using their power to fail you in subjects or ruining your future. Sometimes I think is this kind of education system we have? Is this the real face of some professors? Then I remember my past when schoolteachers shouted on us but they cared for us. They never differentiated between anyone of us and the way they still love us.

One day I heard something that reminded me of movie ‘3 Idiots’. One of the HODs was cursing student; I learnt ahead to hear what exactly the matter was. It was something very disturbing, something very alarming. HOD called students father and said, “Take your word back because he is doing projects all the time and roams here and there to get help”. Instead of helping that student who is innovative, who wants to create something new HOD simply crashed his dreams by shouting on him and by telling his parents that make him more focused on studies (although he was above 7 CGPA). Another story I must share, there was a guy who topped one of the biggest MBA entrance exams of the country got ill-treated by a professor in front of whole class. The professor said to the student that he knows nothing and he must have cheated to secure top position in the exam! Seriously? Instead of applauding child and making him feel better some professors dig very hard for students failure.

Students still feel they are back in the 19th century when there is shortage of basic amenities like electricity, water and sanitation. 2-3 years ago one big administrative officer even asked why we wanted the Internet in our hostels? And added that as we are still in the first and second year and we don’t need the Internet in hostels. Even when a special line is provided by the government what problems do they have one must inquire? Prime minister Narendra Modi speaks about Digital India and digital payment but on contrary, most of the office work is done by paper. From getting admission to getting the degree you have to roam to various departments and literally beg them thousand times to get your work done.

Every student is a gem, students are future of the country but I have seen massacre done with future of our country in Pantnagar. The creativity of students is never encouraged. If a student asks questions they are classified as the troublemaker. Worst is the even professor(s) make fun of students if he wants to become job giver or want to go to big university. It makes me feel bad that although now convocation has started again after 7-8 years but the still handful of students are awarded their degree on stage. Only a few students who receive Gold or silver medals are called, other students have to take their degree from worker sitting at the office. When there are so many officials, Deans, HODs in university it is really bad to see the student getting his degree, his hard work from the worker.

UGC has laid strict rules that there should not be any law that discriminates between two sexes but Pantnagar openly challenges and have made rules that truly discriminate between two sexes. Females almost have no rights like that of Taliban. There is strict entry time of 6 PM for females. They have to take permission from at least 4-5 people to even go out. Students generally have classes from 9 AM to 5 PM, What will females do in just 1 hour? Aren’t they trapped against their will? It is the fundamental duty of the university to provide security but security by locking them inside four walls is not what our rights say. How can students be secure when the main road of the university is made like Nagla to Rudrapur bypass! Anyone can enter university campus and are unrestricted. Only Security University can provide is by locking students. What is the use of 16000 acres of land when students can’t even roam freely and securely in 50 acres? University must learn from BITS Pilani and IIT Roorkee how have they changed rule against PINJRATOD movement by female students.

University administration behaves like a tyrant. From banning students to sit in Park, from banning vehicles for students even when the campus is enormously big, from punishment like semester drop of students when they were going out of campus from the main gate without permission etc. administration deals students as if they have done something really bad. The administration is so rigid that in past few years many students have appealed to honourable High Court and got a decision in their favours’. I have never heard that Pantnagar University has never won any case or treated students with respect. They with at most care want to destroy future of students. In a majority of these cases, University’s Lawyer tries to be absent and extend case to maximum time he can. Then university keeps on appealing to higher and the higher court. University has also appealed to Honorable Supreme Court Of India in some petty issues from there they have even received backlash.

The majority of colleges do not have any kind of placement. In most of the colleges, less than 10% students are placed. There are rarely 20 companies that visit whole university (approx. 5000 students). Many administrative officers are negligent about campus drives. Many administrative officers have even asked companies not to come for recruitment (because Saturdays and Sundays are holidays and Government employees can’t work 1-2 hours extra). The majority of institutional stakeholders say that you have joined this institution and you should be proud of this. You are here to get graduation degree, not for Jobs, Competitive Exams or Co-Curricular. Art and Culture are almost neglected in university. Many students face their worst time during four to five year of their stay in Pantnagar. Due to all these many are chronically depressed, many have anxiety issues. Instead of channelizing students’ energy to something creative they have made their lives terrible. Students can’t stand against administration and Professors because it is the military rule here, you are taught to say ‘YES’ when they want and to say ‘NO’ when they want. This is leading to students falling in addiction to hash and cocaine. Due to this depression, many students have done suicide (about 4-5) in past few years, which is never reported as Pantnagar have military rule.

I know University will counter the majority of above points in their way but I want people and media to ask present students of Pantnagar about problems they are facing. I also want media to carry our voice to government officials and people who want to change India in a positive way. I want to convey this to Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Prime Minister of India and want them to instigate these in depth.

 

Yours truly

Anonymous!

15 thoughts on “Open Letter to HRD minister By anonymous student of Pantnagar University

  1. आप जानते हैं कि समस्या क्या है? शायद नहीं । पर मुझे तो साफ तौर पर दिखाई दे रही है वही भी आप की ही पोस्ट में ।आप के द्वारा उठाए गए मुद्दे सच हो सकते हैं ।कुछ के सच होने को मैं तस्दीक भी कर सकता हूँ ।किन्तु इस गुमनाम पत्र ने सभी समस्याओं को तिरोहित कर आप की कायरता को सामने खड़ा कर दिया है।
    महानुभाव कायरों के अधिकार नहीं होते। आप के इस पत्र से बस इतना हुआ है कि जो समस्या सहनशीलता के लिबास में थी अब कायरता के चीथड़ो में आ गई है ।

    1. Very nice. It’s this same mindset that makes any questioning anti-national and anti-society…and that has kept poor and dalits and females under oppression. Samasya iss patra me nahi hai balki aisi salaah aur maansikta me hai jo aawaaj uthne nahi deti aur shansheelta va sanskaar ki ghutti pilaati hai.

    2. This student has got courage and has mentioned the flaws in Pantnagar University. He/She has been anonymous because due to the presence of “military rule”. If he/she mentions his/her name then University may bestow him/her with university probation for maligning their name.

      1. Being a former student of the university I can testify to the fact that the student is anonymous because of the repercussions he/ she will face in the University if his/her identity is known…

    3. @bhupesh Kr. Instead of criticizing the person, why don’t you try and defend against the point he/she’s been raising.
      Why don’t you try and appreciate the person who’s been trying correct the wrong in his/her own way.
      You should be playing the role of a teacher not that of a patronizing pedagogue!

    4. Somewhere everyone missed the point. I think Mr Bhupesh means to highlight the serious flaw of social media movements that no one is willing to put anything at stake and thinks that their part is done just by pressing the like button. A change can not be brought about without sacrificing your comfort zone.
      Seems like ever one is too busy in their lives. Or just too scared 😉

      1. I guess that the student is not busy. He find time from his busy schedule of 9-5 and highlited ghlited the issues every student of pantnagar knows and faces daily. Still those student don’t find courage to say a word.instead of criticizing that student everyone should appreciate and try to find a solution. And you should not support any comment.

    5. With all undue respect mr two bit petty crook, it is people like yourself who without even the remotest inkling of the student’s plight who has written this letter – which by the way you have either not read conpletely or with wholesale apathy that is a hallmark of true cowardly scoundrels like yourself. By the way, i am sure you realise that your having written whatever ad hominem you just did as a reply could not have been possible without you enjoying the fundamental right of expression, and since you are a coward bound by the chains of your own indispositipn, this of course flies flat in the face of your incommensurate conjecture that cowards don’t enjoy rights, because clearly you do.

  2. Somehow somewhere I can relate it to this…https://youtu.be/HSNypuXqa1s….i think we forgot something this university was known for? Remember those colourful revolutions Green, white, blue etc. I have a leneage in pantnagar since..1962… n some people talk about degradation n some about its past accolades…but no one talks about how to overcome the existing problems…see 3.1 para of pg no 5 and 6 in the report of ICAR’s National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board..http://www.icar.org.in/files/accreditation-19042015.pdf..we need to go for a Central Agriculture University if state is not able to implement these 8 recommendations in of ICAR in details because the report has just mentioned it superficially….i think we need to again implement that system when guest professors were called from University of Illinois to establish education, research and extension system…at least

  3. Dear fellow,
    We all are aware of the problems of our University that you highlighted above. I appreciate your efforts here that atleast you took it to a public platform. But knowing the problem is only the first step to solve a problem. I think we should focus more upon finding feasible solutions to these prolems. The issues highlighted by you can be classified as :
    1. Communication gap between students n professors: I agree to this point, but then some professors are also there who listen to your problems and provide you some genuine help. So you can approach to these ones and get your idea communicated to others also through them. One example I can give here Dr. DS Murthy Sir(Mechanical).

    2. No Grievance redressal mechanism: In this the student bodies can help for example branch chapters. Rather than organizing some events and preparing boards they should serve as a link between students and professors.
    On hostel level we select our mess incharge and sports incharge likewise we can also have maintenance incharge who can address the problems regarding cleaning l, sanitation etc.

    3. Entry time for girls: There are two problems in this. Firstly, Our boundaries are porous in which anyone can enter, it should be properly fenced. Secondly, proper security is not available at all the times at all places. This should be ensured. Other than that the mindset need to be changed in the University regarding freedom of girls.

    4. Outdated curriculum and old labs: This is the major issue and students can’t do much to change this. One advice I can give to engage with our alumni many of them are in good administrative posts to exercise their influence over administration. Alumni Cell organises meets for student-alumni interaction you can use that platform.

    I think these much suggestions are enough. Some of them are difficult to implement even we didn’t took the pain to go through them but I hope that if present students, alumni and professors join hands and work collectively, we can regain our lost glory.

  4. Knowing the present scenario, felt very sad about my university, where, we think ,we had our golden period in mid 80s.Alumni association must take care of the situation.Mr. Akash saxena & Mr. Nitin verma ‘s suggestions are noteworthy.

  5. I did my graduation here. This is a Model institution that govt want other universities to follow. I am hearing same thing is done in BHU also. I think its time we accept that we live in a new Talibaan rather than ranting here and there. And for Gods sake, dont send this to HRD!

  6. This is not just one story. This is the story of thousands of anonymous girls who have studied in Pantnagar.

  7. hey, I am an Alumni of COT, Pantnagar. Trust me I had similar sentiments when I was there. But once I got out there in the world I got to know How the professors in Pantnagar loved, cared and Protected us. I do agree infrastructure in terms of lab needs upgrade, and it is getting upgraded. But I donot agree that the hostels were not clean and sanitized. The hostels were nice, spacious, and the mess food was surely great.
    The fact about the strict Entry time and the hardships we girls have to face to step out of university seems too much when in college but honestly that gives us more time to bond. I was a very active member of Engineering Society, Nirmaan and Spic Macay, and many others like managed to do all we wanted to with the timelines imposed. You need to understand that they are not putting us in Taliban, they are simply being protective. Trust me you will only miss that place with a warmth once you get out.
    The profs might seem tough outside but they are really nice people. I remember how my HOD and Senior Professors consoled me like I was their own child once in 3rd year when I was super low about an incident. They do say the hard things but that is to keep us in line and to push us to achieve our best.
    And as far as Infra goes let us not forget we have very less government aid and even then the fees are pretty decent. The university could charge a bomb like private institutes and gives us the same level of Infra. It’s a conscious choice you need to make.

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