Dr Ashok Kolaskar, former Vice- Chancellor, University of Pune

Tell us about your experience as the Vice Chancellor of Pune University
My experience as the Vice Chancellor has been extremely satisfying. There are lots of positive things that happened in my tenure and many things that still needed to be done. The organisation gave me opportunities to interact with people from all the sectors and strata of the society. It was a learning experience where I came to know about human nature and even became better informed about our country.

What are the significant changes that took place in the University in your tenure?
There are several changes that have taken place. The first and foremost being the internationalisation of the University with the number of foreign students totaling 6,030 from 82 countries.
We have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)  with many foreign universities which has enabled collaboration and interaction between teachers of our university with those of other universities. This university has become the fastest growing university with 3,90,000 students. There has been a quantum jump even in the number of recognized institutes and colleges affiliated to the university. Amongst other significant changes, there has been automation of library, finance and examination.
Wherever we had serious problems, we have tried to change the system to carry out jobs in the most efficient and optimised fashion.

What about the examination assessment which is frequently criticised by the students as being unsatisfactory?
I have personally looked into the assessment of exams to ensure that there is no scope left for malpractices. The assessment of papers goes through many secure stages. We have increased the remuneration of examiners and lessened the number of papers that examiners can asses per day. I spent a lot of time and energy during the last five years to ensure more reliability by developing and improving the system.

Will the setting up of private universities and Institutes further encourage commercialisation of education?
Private universities have unnecessarily got a bad name. The government of our country is not in a position to match the demand for quality education. There are many private institutes which are providing quality education. Problems arise when there are universities with good infrastructure and other facilities, but they forget to employ high quality teachers and then don’t deliver services worth the money paid by the students.
Yes private institutes do create a gap between the haves and the have-nots by charging huge amount as fee. They need to become socially responsible, give quality education and not distinguish between students on the basis of caste, creed or nationality.

How do you see this happening?
This will happen through pubic pressure. The system should be transparent and Information must be given out to the common man within the stipulated period.
We also need to set up quality criteria for measurement of performance of an Institute.   This is the kind of control or supervision which was the job of authorities like the UGC and the AICTE but they have failed. These aspects are being looked into by the National Knowledge Commission of which I am the Advisor.
Considering that India is a developing country, we should utilize resources in the most optimized fashion. We need to think differently and not walk on the beaten track.

There are many complaints by the outstation and foreign students of harassment in the form of long delays and rude behaviour by the university staff. Have you done anything in this regard?
We had planned to launch the web facility for online admission and other procedures but due to opposition from some members it didn’t materialize. But it will be launched soon. In fact the online admission procedure has already started for the international students and people living in rural areas. This will save students from all the inconvenience.

What are the values and principles that have been instrumental to your success?
Hard work is the first quality that has brought me till here. I feel that once you take up something, you should work sincerely towards it.
Listening to everyone but taking my own decision and standing by it is something I have always followed. Plus, I don’t try to please anyone. If there is something I cannot do I am frank and forthright to tell the other person.

What are your future plans?
I’m currently serving as the Professor of Bioinformatics in the University and will continue to utilise my knowledge for improving the education and particularly Bioinformatics (Research and Training) at the national and international level. My position allows me to help and improve the education in the country to sharpen India’s knowledge edge.

What is your message for the students?
I always tell my youngsters to be non-conformist. Don’t get affected by what people think about your work. Follow your heart; work hard and success will come to you. Never fear doing something new. Get out and do it and then start sharing with others. You will then see the same people who disagreed with you coming after you. So preserve your individuality and think differently.

- Interviewed by Amita Makhija ,
   March 3, 2006