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| | Mufti’s wings to Sheikh’s dreams making difference in Rajouri | | Early Times Report
Rajouri, Dec 15: Looking at the five-year old yet fifty-year mature Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University atop a hillock overlooking this border township, it seems that the National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah dreamed high for this region which continues to seek an identity separate from Kashmir Valley and rest of Jammu. It is different matter, though, that Sheikh’s high dreams for the twin border districts –Rajouri and Poonch –were given wings to by his political bête noire Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who later founded his Peoples Democratic Party and became Chief Minister for two and half years.
The National Conference invoked Sheikh’s dreams late last month when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah drove over the Mughal Road which, of course, was conceived by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah but project was launched two decades after he passed away. In these two decades, his son Farooq ruled thrice and son-in-law GM Shah once as Chief Minister but spade work on Mughal Road began after Mufti took over as Chief Minister. It was not an easy task, though. For ‘Sheikh’s sake’ Mufti had to sell his healing touch to the mandarins in Defence and Home Ministry in Delhi and plead before the Supreme Court for environmental clearance before work was launched on the historic Mughal road.
Another project of historical relevance which is changing face of the region if Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University which celebrated its fifth anniversary today. Enormously impressed over unprecedented growth of University in a short span of five years, the Chief guest on the occasion, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather complimented the Vice Chancellor Masud Chaudhary and his team for the uphill task as he said, “Sher-i-Kashmir was very keen to set up the University for disseminating knowledge adding that the University administration has really done a marvelous job by accomplishing the project”.
Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, as Rather said, was also one of the cherished dreams of Sheikh Abdullah for this politically, socially and economically disempowered region. Sheikh’s successor Dr Farooq Abdullah’s efforts and sincerity can’t be overlooked as he got legislation for setting up of University passed in the Assembly in 2002. Interestingly, it was again Mufti who picked up the spade, dug a hill and set the process rolling down.
At that time seen a bolt out of blue, Mufti appointed, then Additional Director General of Police, Headquarters, Masud Chaudhary as Project Officer and Chief Executive Officer for kickstarting work at the Campus. Mufti’s vision and serving cop’s acumen to actually create a University at a place which had the nearest motorable road some seven kilometers away became a popular fun gag of the times. Choudhary retired from Police next year and was appointed as founder Vice Chancellor of the University, kicking off a storm of criticism among the academicians.
It was in less than six months that academic session rolled out and critics began to eat up their humble pies. Whether it was Mufti’s idea or Chaudhary’s plan that some 500 who’s who from the state –drawn from all walks of life –joined the ceremony marked to launch the academic courses. Seeing is after all believing.
The University continued to cry for funds, but no other institution in the state is reported to have grown and expanded as much in past five years as this campus in the hills did. Its achievement chart records 100 per cent placements and its centre for biodiversity is perhaps second to none in the country. There is one allegation, however. The University did not float tenders for most of its buildings and has its own Engineering wing to execute works.
The Vice Chancellor and his team will to have to sleep with this allegation for the reasons they chose –all buildings have come up at two-thirds lesser cost that at what any state agency would have executed and there is hardly any building which took more than 100 days in completion. While foundation stone inaugural plaques bear testimony to efficiency, it was the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who reviewed the University’s project work mechanism and remarked: “If Vice Chancellor plans to join politics I will think twice to take him as Minister and offer Works Department”.
No wonder that today’s Chief Guest, Rather said “it is not easy to build a big institution as it needs strenuous efforts and given the pace of work being carried on the institution, it will become next Aligarh University in the country”, and added that more dedication and hard-work is needed to make it one of the premier institution of the country. He said that there is lot of expectations on the management of the institution which, he hoped, would be fulfilled.
While appreciating the work of Vice Chancellor Masud Choudhary, he said that the luminary has done Yeomen’s job to give the University a special status and shape it despite the hurdles in the form of Finances and Management. He said that the upgradation of the institution has been wonderful and unexpected but the same was accomplished meticulously. Mr. Rather said, let us pledge today to rise to the occasion and work to make the University one of the leading institutions of the country.
Referring to corruption, Mr. Rather said that it has eaten into the vitals of the society adding that synergy is needed to eradicate this menace from the roots. However, Mr. Rather expressed hope that future generations would not tolerate this menace and give a tough resistance to this evil.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of the University Masud Ahmad Choudhary said that the University is getting tremendous response of students from all the three regions of the State. He said that has happened only due to the quality of education available in the University. He said that the University has a well trained faculty.
About the response of Multinational companies to the university, Masud Ahmad Choudhary said that the University is achieving almost 100 percent placements of the University in many national and multinational companies. “We have opened placement Cell and appointed experts to search jobs for the pass out students”, Mr. Choudhary added.
He highlighted achievements of the University during the 5-year of its existence. He said that when the University was established five years back, it was a big challenge to convert the isolated place into a colony of intellects, which we see today and the efforts are is on to do much more in this regard.
The Vice Chancellor said that the University has opened Mahatma Gandhi Chair on Environment and is already running centre for Biodiversity Studies and School of Biotechnology and Biosciences with a vision to biodiversity through research, education and people’s participation. |
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