Quality within any educational institution is fundamentally determined
by the people who work there; it cannot be imposed solely by top management or
the Vice Chancellor. Furthermore, labelling the entire system as corrupt
is inconsistent if we, as stakeholders, continue to support or enable such
corruption. When I learned of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
arresting professors from reputed institutes for allegedly inflating grades, I
could not help but think that these interventions should have occurred a decade
ago.
During my tenure as a NAAC Peer Team Coordinator in one of the colleges,
I witnessed a commendable stance taken by Dr. Vijay Joshi, former Principal of
K. J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, who accompanied me as a member
of the NAAC Peer Team. He supported my view and informed the college management
that the team would not accept any favours, including the customary shawls or
mementoes. This reminded me of a similar principle my research guide, Dr.
Yashawanth Dongre—currently the Vice Chancellor of Chanakya University—upheld
during his interactions with students and colleagues.
A pertinent example involves Prof. Sathish Bhat, a distinguished faculty
member at Canara College, Mangalore, who was pursuing his M.Phil. under the
supervision of Dr. D. K. Puduval, then Chairman of the Commerce Department at
Mangalore University. Tragically, Dr. Puduval succumbed to renal failure, at
which point Dr. Dongre stepped in to guide Prof. Bhat to complete his M.Phil.
After Prof. Bhat’s successful viva, Prof Bhat sought permission to visit Dr.
Dongre at home to express his gratitude. Dr. Dongre agreed only on the
condition that Prof. Bhat refrain from bringing gifts or mementoes. This
illustrates how firmly held ethical standards help safeguard integrity in
academia.
Upon joining Srinivas University, I recently witnessed the successful
Ph.D. adjudication of my first candidate. Dr. Shwetha Pai, through
perseverance, diligence, and commitment, defended her thesis on 8th February
2025 at the Mukka Campus. The external examiner for this defence was Dr.
Digambar Datthatreya Kulkarni from L. K. Khot College of Commerce, Laxmeshwar,
Belgavi. After an introductory address by Dr. Shailashri, Research Coordinator
at the Institute of Management and Commerce, the viva voce was handed over to
Dr. Kulkarni. Dr. Pai systematically presented her research and addressed all
queries posed by the examiner.
Following the defence, Dr. Sureshramana Mayya, Research Guide and
Chairman of Adjudication elaborated on the quality parameters that guide
doctoral candidates at Srinivas University. He also extended gratitude to Dr.
Praveen (Research Director) and all the Research Professors, fellow
researchers, and students for their support and active participation. These
events underscore that while institutional frameworks play a role in
maintaining quality, the most impactful measures are those firmly rooted in the
ethics, integrity, and commitment of the individuals who form the heart of any
academic community.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.JPG)
.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment