Governor Kalyan Singh roots for research department on Atal Bihari Vajpayee

The personal life and creative works of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, are subject of deep research, said governor Kalyan Singh, while asking the administration of Vardhman Mahaveer Open University (VMOU) based in Kota to research these aspects by setting up a dedicated department for it. Singh laid emphasis on the need to conduct research on Vajpayee’s life journey in a message sent to VMOU on the occasion of convocation ceremony held here on Tuesday. 

“His ideas and deeds are the subjects of research. The universities in the state should initiate a research on them. There is a need that the Open University set up a department dedicatedly to research the subjects,” said Singh in his message while congratulating the administration and academicians of the university on its 11th convocation.

Singh, who is chancellor of the universities, was scheduled to attend the program. But at the last moment he cancelled the tour which reportedly indicated his ‘protest’ against the vice chancellors who did not abide by his instructions related to ‘reforms’ and accountability.

The governor reportedly ‘boycotted’ the ceremony as the university administration had failed to print degrees on time.  It was learnt that the administration printed the invitation letters for the ceremony but degrees were not printed due to delay in tender works. Sources, however, said that the governor could not visit VMOU as his health was not up to the mark.

Singh meanwhile made a few reformative suggestions to the university. He said that in wake of contemporary online education system the university should adopt methods accordingly. Also it must make the young generation aware about the plight of poor and underprivileged sections of the society through various programmes  so that they understand their social responsibility. Such innovations would develop a new society, he said.

In his tenure so far, the governor has been advocating reforms in higher education. 

A couple of months back while attending a conference of the governors at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, he demanded to extend the term of vice chancellors in the universities to five years. 

He asked the UGC to frame new guidelines and extend the term of VCs to five 5 years instead of the present three years. Singh had stressed the need for uniformity in acts of all the universities in the country. 

Some Suggestions

Singh made a few reformative suggestions to the university. He said that in wake of contemporary online education system the university should adopt methods accordingly. Also it must make young generation aware about plight of poor and underprivileged section of the society through programmes.