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Besu rides high on V-C’s vision
The Times of India, Dec 18, 2009
In the news for all the wrong reasons, the prestigious campus is all set to stage a turnaround, thanks to its new V-C, reports Somdatta Basu
Bengal Engineering and Science University has discovered the power of ‘one’. The prestigious campus, which had been in the news for all the wrong reasons of late, has found a saviour and rallying voice in its vice chancellor, Ajay Kumar Roy. The campus, rocked by incidents of students’ unrest and allegations of ragging, is slowly but surely changing for the better under his careful guidance.
Roy assumed office in February this year. Since then, there has been no looking back. He had a grand plan to steer the university to the right track. Unity on his lips, he started involving fellow teachers and students in his dream... one that is already bearing fruit.
After taking over, Roy has laid special emphasis on uniting students. “It was the first thing on my mind when I took over during troubled times. Today, I feel proud to see that none of the students indulges in any anti-social activities, which was earlier rampant. There is no more ragging, for instance” he said.
Roy believes that academic rigour is most important. Accordingly, he created an academic calendar that was immediately implemented. The academic calendar mentions dates for examinations and specifies when results would be published. Changes were introduced in the examination system, which underwent a complete makeover.
“Now, the students can check their answer scripts. A semester system has been implemented, a continuous evaluation process started and open-book system of exams introduced. It has become mandatory for students to take part in seminars and discussions, which are also counted among examinations,” said Roy.
One of the mottos which the V-C, along with all his teachers, has taken is to provide complete support to students. “A centre for creative expressions and liberal arts has started functioning. The students are involved in dramatics, photography and music. A film society and ones on debating, quizzing and creative writing have been created,” said a senior teacher of Besu’s architecture department. And students involved in these societies are fortunate enough to have stalwarts in their respective fields share their knowledge and experience: sarod maestro Buddhadeb Dasgupta, singer Ajay Chakraborty, dancer Amita Dutta, acclaimed filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta, thespian Rudraprasad Sengupta, singer Dwijen Mukhopadhyay and danseuse Mamata Shankar.
Next on the agenda was a sports calendar and cultural calendar for inter-college competitions. Besu will hold an inter-college sports competition in January. Even gardening and cleanliness competitions will be held, in which the seven hostels will compete with each other.
The hands-on V-C even started making unannounced visits to the hostels to keep tabs on daily proceedings. Roy’s tireless efforts resulted in the alumni association joining hands with him to bring more funds for infrastructure development and renovation of Besu.
From the funds, the campus hospital system is being renovated and a centralised internal security system is being beefed up, which includes installing CCTV cameras at various strategic locations.
“He tried collecting funds from several channels and united everyone. Most importantly, the students realised that violence on campus was ruining their future, with many companies refusing to recruit from the university. Even the MHRD had put the process of upgrading the university to Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology (IIEST) status on the backburner, which is now being revived,” added Anjan Ghosh, dean of students.
Even the students are unanimous about the fruition of the V-C’s vision. “He has a dream and he ensured that we share that same dream. He is a very focused person and knows what steps are to be taken to achieve IIEST status. He has prompted us to shift our minds in more creative directions,” said Noel Roychowdhury, a first-year IT student.
Ishaani Banerjee, a first-year civil engineering department student, said: “Before joining, I was very apprehensive about ragging on campus. But the reality was quite different. We were not allowed to interact with seniors before Durga Puja. There was intense security. We were under complete protection of the authorities,” she said.
PAST IMPERFECT
2008
June 8: Trouble on campus after drunken students belonging to a party ransack union office room of rival party
November 6: Violence on campus; undergraduate classes suspended indefinitely and boarders told to vacate hostel
2009
May 2: Five students suspended after clash between two groups of students
(Left) New V-C Ajay Kumar Roy, who assumed office in February, has succeeded in curbing violence and ragging on campus by inculcating a sense of unity among students
A related article from Bengali Newspaper, Aajkaal
Please also read
| Comments by RUPAK DATTA,Mech. from Canada on Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 19:56 - IP Logged |
It is a good feeling to see a glass as half full. We all should appreciate the ambitious plan VC has for future BESU, and must help anyway we can.
Plan never fails. We fail to make a plan. Once started it will be like a Catalytic Agent--> no stopping.
I clearly see a big picture of our college --> B.E.College --> Future INI. |
| Comments by Manas K RayChaudhuri from India on Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 08:59 - IP Logged |
It is very heartening to see the rising of BECollege again in the engg.horizon of India.
Manas K RayChaudhuri
64EE,Kolkata |
| Comments by Ashok Kumar Shaw from India on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 00:39 - IP Logged |
| Sir we all are with you,continue your VISION..... |
| Comments by Susobhan Ghosh from United States on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 10:59 - IP Logged |
| I salute one of our alumnus Ajoy Ray for his vision, commitment, and caring attitudes. A person like him at the top can change the entire organization. With is vision, he includes cleanliness and gardening, listen to the students, faculties and staff, bring changes in examination system, keeping students busy in innovation and cultural enririchment, etc. in his agenda. After an era of dark poisonous clouds, we see the ray of bright sunlight, we must extend our support to help Ajoy to make our institution where each of us commit to excllence. Jai Ho!! |
| Comments by Samir Basu, 64EE from Canada on Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 14:39 - IP Logged |
| What a great news finally coming out from our college (BESU). Let's be confident that alll of us, students, alumni, faculty, staff etc will turn around this great institute in 2010. Samir Basu, 64EE, Toronto | |
