Dears,
The long article by the former Registrar [and serving Professor of Chemistry]
at Goa University posted by Floriano [truncated here as required under goanet
rules] has also appeared in print in Goa. It answers some of the [IMHO, snide]
comments made by Roland Francis and Selma Carvalho about Goan faculty and
students, respectively, on Goanet.
If you are concerned about avenues for higher education in Goa, you cannot
afford not to read it now.
Dr. K.G. Hiremath, Chairman-elect of Worldwide Fund for Nature-Goa and
President of BSG, is a Ph. D. in Botany from Goa University. So are Dr. Bernard
Felinov Rodrigues {Reader at GU] Dr. Kasturi Narayan Desai [Lecturer
PES-Ponda], Dr. Sima V.Kamat [lecturer PES-Ponda], Dr. Maria Araujo Fonseca
[lecturer SXC-Mapusa] and Dr. Francis L. Coelho [Dy. Director of Eco-Tourism
and DCF]. Dr. Nandkumar Kamat is a Ph. D. in Microbilogy from Goa University
and Dr. Manoj Borcar is in Zoology. Dr. Narayan Desai is a Ph. D. in Political
Science also from GU. Nalini de Elvino Sousa, Director of Communicare, an
institute that teaches Portuguese, Spanish and Italian besides producing the
famous "Contacto Goa" programmes, did her Masters in Portuguese at Goa
University before registering for her doctoral studies to Portugal. Goa
University is one of the few Universities in the world to have its Library
online. Goa University has MoUs with quite a few foreign universities
and it has its UGC-sponsored Centre for Latin American Studies. St. Xavier's
College, one of its 30-odd affiliated colleges, has the distiction of being
selected as one of the top 47 Colleges in the whole of India as a Centre with
Potential for Excellence [CPE] among the 1,800-odd colleges under the
University Grants Commission , Ministry of HRD, Government of India. As Dr.
Budkuley rightly points out, till March-April,1961, examiniations a person
living in Goa needed "Passport" or "Travel Documents" to answer a SSC exam in
British or Independent India. From March 1964, it was possible to answer up to
B.A. or B.Sc. in Goa itself. Then came MBBS to replace Medico Cirugiao and B.E.
followed alongside B.Comm. Till March, 1985, a M.Sc. meant "practical" in
Bombay. Only thereafter, students in Goa could study and answer all exams,
theory and practicals up to Ph. D. in Goa itself. If it becomes a Central
University, one could well forget the Post
Graduate options like MD, MS and Ph. D for the Goa ST, SC and OBC. They will
be overwhelmed by candidates from states like Meghalaya, where ALL the three
tribes have been declared ST, or other states which have STs which are several
times the entire population of Goa.
Graduates and Postgraduates from Goa University can be seen in all fields from
Architecture to Zoology. They may all be as dead as a dodo in twenty years
from now.
Mog asundi.
Miguel
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:34:48 +0530
From: "goasuraj" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] Central University Status for GU: for whom? and at
what cost? by: Dr. Jayant Budkuley-Ex-Registrar GU - goasuraj COMMENTS
To: <goanet@lists.goanet.org>
Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
COMMENTS
The above is the right synopsis for the orientation to commence the intended
DEBATE of the intellectuals of GOA under the banner of 'CITIZEN'S (OF GOA)
INITIATIVE' scheduled to meet for the first time on July 28 (Monday), 2008
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Main Hall of Institute Menezes Braganza,
Panjim.
Not to comment on the pros and cons delivered by Dr. Jayant Budkuley above,
we shall reproduce the preamble of the Chapter [IX] - EDUCATION excerpted
from our ROADMAP FOR GOA (at page 64)
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY STATUS: For Whom? And At What Cost?
-by Jayant Shivaji
Budkuley [EMAIL
PROTECTED]
This article is a loud-thinking prompted by the news item
reported in a section of press on 15th July 2008 regarding the proposed
conversion of Goa University into a Central University. In my considered
opinion, if this move is finalized, it is going to spell disaster to the
coming generation of students from the State. I would like to share my views
and anxieties about this with the destiny shapers and the destiny makers of
this state. But before that I would like to refresh the memory of my
generation which has been the privileged witness to the history of post
liberation Goa because, "those who forget their history are condemned to
repeat it". Undeniably, the future growth and distinct development for any
state lies in its institutions of higher learning.
SOME BACKGROUND:
For a generation that had needed a 'passport' to go to India even to appear
for the secondary school examination, liberation brought the facility of higher
education to
their doorstep and encouraged them to fulfill their dreams.
It was due to the social commitment and vision of great Goan philanthropists
such as Padmashri Late Shri Vasantrao S. Dempo, Shri. Vishvasrao D.
Chowgule, Late Shri Dayanand Bandodkar and others, collegiate education was
made available in North and South Goa for the young aspirants as early as
from June 1962. The Diocesan Society was to follow suit with another
much-needed college in North Goa. Within a few years, the first Women's
college made its appearance in South Goa. All these colleges were Arts and
Science Colleges to begin with, but the Goan visionaries soon responded to
the need for discipline of Commerce too.
Special mention has to be made of that great philanthropist and visionary
Late Shri Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa (Daman and
Diu) with regard to the commendable clarity and range of his perspective on
education. While financially helping many needy and promising youngsters for
higher education in reputed institutions outside Goa and abroad, he realized
the necessity of upgrading the Goa Medical College (the first in Asia) and
the urgency of starting an Engineering College in Goa. The two educational
monuments at Bambolim and Farmagudi respectively stand a testimony to his
vision.
The third campus meant for the University, which was initially planned at
the well-developed Kundai Plateau was delayed and ultimately took shape at
Taleigao Plateau. This delay was expected and necessary: the University was
to be the culmination of the aspirations of a people coming into their own
after 450 years of foreign rule and alien education policy.
Significantly, Goa was then a Union Territory along with Daman and Diu and
hence had the option to prefer a Central University, if desired. Yet, the Goa
University,
representing the dreams of Goans, was established as a State University on
30th June 1985.
UNIVERSITY TODAY:
Specifically speaking of the discipline of Chemistry to which I belong (and
can therefore confidently cite as an illustration), many students passing out
with post-graduate and research degree in Chemistry are very well-placed in
Research and Development Units
of renowned industries as well as Research Institutes. Most importantly,
several of these students coming from remote rural areas have realized their
potential by performing exceedingly well in their scholarly pursuits.
I would specially like to mention with paternal affection and pride some of
our outstanding alumni here: Dr. Sunder Dhuri from a hamlet in Valpoi and
Dr. Sarvesh Sawant from Karapur, Sankhli -both presently are Post Doctoral
Fellows in Reputed Institutes in South Korea; Mr. Umesh Gauns from Keri,
Valpoi, and Mr. Prakash Parvatkar from Keri-Ponda passed NET(UGC-CSIR)
examination; and the latter being among top 20% student passing that
examination in the country was short listed for late Dr. Shamaprasad
Mukherji Fellowship. It is my limitation that I can vouch for only one
department but I have no doubt this must be the story of students from rural
areas across the departments in Goa University. Where will the less
privileged but bright, hardworking youngsters go, if our University is
converted into a Central University with admissions thrown open to aspirants
from across the country and no other State University to turn to, except
those with exorbitant fees in the neighbouring states.
The present Director of Higher Education, Government of Goa, Shri.Bhaskar
Nayak has himself had a long stint as the Principal of Government College:
at Pernem and now at Quepem. Both these colleges cater to the student
community from rural places like Nhaibag, Keri, Varkhand, Dhargal; Sanguem,
Bhati, Kurpe, Kavrem, Morpil, Zambaulim etc. In fact, the very rationale for
starting the Government Colleges in the rural areas such as Pernem,
Sankhali, Khandola and Kepem has been to tap the deprived sections of
society, disadvantaged from obtaining higher education due to inaccessible
distance, unaffordable costs of living away from home and limited resources
available to them. Or else, what was need of starting new colleges in
addition to the reputed institutions already in place? Was it not to cater
to the common man with uncommon potential and aspirations? Who else will
have better knowledge of the potential of these students than the Principals
of colleges in rural Goa? Who else but the Principals and teachers will
appreciate the change that has occurred in rural Goan youth thanks to their
own efforts and initiative for higher studies since the establishment of Goa
University?
Conversion of any one University from a bigger state (like Madhya Pradesh or
Maharashtra or Chattisgarhj) into a Central University will not affect
student community from that state to such a great extent as in the case of
Goa. This is because there are more than one (often several) Universities
existing in such a state. But for Goa, which has only one University, the
outcome of the conversion will be disastrous.
A CAUTION IN TIME.....
With Central University status, the State Government's prerogative of
nominations to the various academic and administrative bodies will be lost
and thus the focus of the educational objectives for the State will be
side-lined.
It was a welcome thing to read in the press that the ruling Party in Goa has
taken a decision to appoint a Committee under Shri. M. K. Shaikh to relook
into the issue of converting Goa University into a Central University. In
fact, it would be better if this issue is discussed thread bare and sorted
out also by the political leadership by rising above their party
affiliations. There is no doubt that our senior politicians have interests
of the youth of the state, both urban and rural, equally at their heart. It
would be in the interest of the student community that our senior leaders,
Shri. Pratapsingh Rane, Shri Digamber Kamat, Shri. Manohar Parrikar, Dr.
Wilfred D'Souza, Shri. Sudin Dhavlikar, along with Shri. Shantaram Naik,
Shri Sripad Naik, Shri Fransisco Sardinha sit together and weigh the pros
and cons of this issue once and for all.
The most undesirable aspect of this entire episode of the conversion has
been the clandestine manner in which the policy advisor(s)/promoter(s)
pursued this issue. Until the contextual reference made by the Finance
Minister on the floor of the House while presenting the Budget, the
stakeholders i.e. the teachers, the students and the community at large were
completely in the dark about the Central University status. Moreover, such
an important issue was not even discussed in the policy-making bodies of the
University. This is in direct contrast to the long-drawn spade-work done by
all the stake-holders in the State prior to the establishment of Goa
University.
In a pluralistic country like India it is extremely important that every state
should have at least one state university so that the aspirations of the
people of that state are focused and fulfilled through the agency of their
own University. The tiny state of Goa, which a visionary like Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru believed has its own salient position in the Indian
Republic, cannot be an exception to this privilege. ENDS
THE FIRST PART OF THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN NAVHIND TIMES dated 20 July, 2008,
Page 7
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