As
India celebrate 65th year of independence, I write this article in retrospect.
I have been watching the promos of a TV
show 'Jai Jawan' with Deepika Padukone jumping around with the soldiers. Each
year it is one of the stars of modern India who spend some time with soldiers
on 26th Jan and 15th Aug, speak a few words of sympathy and the whole country
assumes that enough has been done for them and for their sacrifice. I may sound
cynical but that is the way I see my countrymen and may be you will understand
my cynicism after reading this true story.
I am
a veteran from the Indian Navy with 25 years of distinguished service to the
nation. While I was still doing well, I decided to 'swallow the anchor'
(equivalent of 'hanging up my boots' of
the army) to take care of my ailing parents, father being 84 with a
history of brain stroke and mother 70 with a history of breast cancer. Unlike
most soldiers, I knew quite well that someday I will have to join the civil
society and hence was regularly upgrading my educational qualifications and
went on to gather six post graduate degrees / diplomas and when I was in the
last leg of my service career, I enrolled for a doctoral research as I wished
to join the education sector and contribute to the development of the youth. I
was all of 44 when I stepped out of my uniform.
I
returned home with lock, stock and barrel and joined a Management Institution
at Nagpur as Director. I enjoyed a sense of purpose and was doing my job
sincerely. I was trying to bring about a change in the way students approach
their life and my process had a fair mixture of awakening and admonishing. Soon
the students started falling in place and the method was finding acceptance as
even with their immaturity, they started to see the genuineness of purpose.
As
time went by, the management took up a case with the university for
regularization of my appointment. A committee was constituted which after due
diligence found me suitable enough to head the institution. However, after
about three months, the university intimated that my appointment cannot be
regularized as my PhD was not in Business Management but in Psychology allied
to Organizational Behaviour. There were also questions raised on my Defence
experience - If a retired Commander can be equated to that of a business
manager/professor. Taken aback, I wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor (VC)
explaining as to how Psychology is very much part of the management domain, as
if he did not know already, and also cited several examples from the best
institutions like the IIMs where some of the well known professors are from
Psychology background. On the issue of defence background, incidentally, five
former VCs of the same university were retired Defence Officers which I
happened to see on the succession board when I went to call on the VC the first
time.
Seeing
no response, I took the initiative of meeting the VC personally along with my
management. I once again explained that my PhD was interdisciplinary in nature
having overlap with management and psychology. He seemed quite perplexed that
the case was turned down for this reason and promised to look into the matter
but time went by with no response whatsoever. The management after waiting for
some time officially represented to the university and I wrote two additional
letters citing examples of approvals accorded by the same university in the
past to candidates with psychology background. The academic fraternity was
unanimous in their opinion but the administrative machinery was stubborn. After
three more months, the university responded to the representation of the
management and both my letters to the VC by a common one liner, saying that the
candidate’s PhD is not in Business Management and hence approval cannot be
accorded. The university was relying on the AICTE norms which reads 'PhD in
relevant discipline' as one of the essential qualifications. Ironically, the AICTE had approved my
candidature. The management lost steam and wanted to give up and asked me to
continue as an unapproved Director which was not to my liking.
While this controversy was going on, in Feb 2012 the Vice Chancellor of the same university, based on my separate application, recognized me as a PhD supervisor in the subjects of Business Management and Administration which necessarily means that they have accepted my PhD in Psychology as relevant to Management. It was a clear case of arbitrariness. Since my management was not willing to fight any longer, I resigned from the post to file a writ petition in the high court.
Any
respectable organization would have admitted their mistake and resolved the
matter amicably but the university filed a counter affidavit and let the case
proceed. Shamelessly they contended that a candidate’s qualifications may be
suitable for supervising PhD scholars but not be good enough to teach at
Masters’ level, a rationale that can at best be termed as ‘absurd’. So much so,
even the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) an apex body
controlling technical education in India has been accepting candidates with
psychology background. However, the university strangely took an adamant
position. Three hearings were held and the case was turning against the
university. Finally, as a face saver the counsel of the university requested
the court to include AICTE as a party to this case and clarify if I can be
appointed as a Director despite the fact that I have cited cases where AICTE
had approved such candidates in the petition.. The case in now sub judice
and I am confident that logic and truth will prevail.
All
along, I was wondering why the university has taken a position so illogical
against me, until my counsel who is well known in the city, told me that it is an
outcome of personal vendetta on two counts. Firstly, he reminded me of an
incident when I had admonished a student of my college for his misbehavior.
Incidentally, that student happened to be a son of the official looking after
faculty approvals in the university and that it is his handy work. Typical of
bureaucracy, the VC signed the noting without application of mind or may be
even without seeing what is written in the file. All subsequent letters, were
marked by the VC to the concerned section without any remarks and the concerned
official, a Assistant Registrar, has succeeded in holding the entire system at
ransom. Secondly, there are two
political factions that rule the university and all institutions under the university
have affiliation to one of the two parties. Incidentally, I was heading an
institution which is known to be part of the faction that is not in power. What
an example of how politics is ruining
our educational system!!
I
was virtually sitting at home with no work for four months. I was completely
distraught with the feeling of betrayal and finally, I had to move out of the
city, leaving behind my old parents , my wife and children. Did I deserve this
as a veteran with 25 years of meritorious service to the nation? This is not
how veterans are treated elsewhere in the world, I suppose!!!
I am really moved after reading this. I always remember the 80:20 rule when I come across instances like these. A majority of good people affected by a minority of bad people. These bad ones aren't very smart, clever or skilled in the ways of the world unlike the good ones, but are devoid of any morality, principles and empathy to the feelings and sufferings of others. This gives them all the confidence to cause harm to the world in small and big measures and to escape earthly punishment. They however forget about divine retribution.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that this is an outcome of vengeance, arrogance, immaturity and petty political calculations. I am sure that if this matter gets an additional coverage in the media, things will eventually start working for your good. You have the facts to support your stand. Your victory can hold the key to break down a dirty structure built on influence, corruption and nepotism.
You have the courage to bring it down.