Student community is always a good community, as they seek to learn new things, but should be aware of fringe sections, even among teachers, says Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor Khaja Altaf Hussain.
In an interview with The Hindu, Prof. Altaf Hussain said he persuades his students and staff to achieve more by ‘keeping themselves busy’.
Academic excellence as the motto, the Mahatma Gandhi University at Nalgonda was established in 2007. Presently there are 140 colleges affiliated to the university and offers 18 courses.
With a strict policy, biometric attendance was made compulsory for students and staff, and nearly 200 students were not allowed to appear for the exams for want of attendance last year. This he says, “Will help them learn and develop skills, also ensuring judicious use of fee reimbursements and scholarships.”
Of late, the University has been signing MoUs with institutes of varied academic disciplines. Currently, it has agreements with Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, National Council of Rural Institutes and Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University at Hyderabad, NIPER at Mohali and the JNU, Delhi.
To coach students to practice and demonstrate skills in rural community, the University recently re-designed its curriculum to add a compulsory ‘Rural Community Engagement’ module for all the UG and PG students.
About 75 CCTVs on the campus, a new library with digitization facility, upgraded laboratory and sports equipment are added infrastructure.
However, at one point, the Vice-Chancellor begins to feel the pinch: Job placements, regular staff, and performance of engineering courses. “Job melas are being conducted and the numbers are on the rise, and I am awaiting sanction of regular appointees,” he says.
“We have about 90 teachers, both permanent and academic consultants and I ensure no classroom is without a teacher,” he affirms.
A gold medalist in Physics, Prof. Altaf Hussain from Atmakur mandal in Warangal has around 40 published research papers and three books in his more than three-decade career.
He completes his first year in the office and his report card by the students says, “The University certainly took a shape after he came,” to which he says (smilingly), “Students are the best judges of teachers!”