ANNA UNIVERSITY – FADED GLORY ???

The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Anna University has banned cell phones on campus. So of course it cannot be used it class (a rule students WANT to obey) but it cannot even be used after class anywhere on campus. And, if you are even found in possession of one it is immediately confiscated. Now, in a protest letter to President Kalam, students write, “We are being frisked humiliatingly – an ignominy normally reserved for terrorists.”

The VC has also introduced a highly unpopular dress code. He thinks that by placing a blanket ban on cell phones and forcing people to dress a certain way he is introducing a greater degree of professionalism into college functioning. But little of all this he practices himself. He turned up half an hour late for my interview without intimating me of the delay. His arrival was preceded by a servile peon who carried in two of his cell phones while he walked in a little later with the third. And despite Anna University being a green campus, he zips around in his spanking, air-conditioned TATA Safari while some students have to walk nearly half a kilometer under the blazing sun just to get some lunch.

The letter written to the President is being circulated to gather signatures. It is written straight from the heart and shows the vice-chancellor in very poor light. The VC therefore is desperate to get hold of the letter. His office called and asked me for a copy and they were told kindly to go to hell.

But beyond the dress code and cell phone ban and harassment, students allege that there has been little academic advancement over the years. They say the syllabus has not been updated, labs lack proper equipment and the faculty does not spark their imagination. A moribund academic environment and the Talibanisation of the social and cultural climate on campus is the real Anna University today where the product just does not match the brand.

Courtesy:-Alaphia Zoyab

 

Finally some progress

In one my earlier posts I had written about the way our VC was behaving more like a dictator and less like an academician.

Well that was around a month ago.The numerous bans enforced on the students have been in effect for different periods ranging from more than a year to around 6 months.Though most of us used to complain to each other about the rigidness of our VC's mindset,none of us including our seniors seemed to have the guts to protest this decision.There was a proposal to wear black shirts as a mark of protest but even that withered out in the end as none seemed willing to take such a huge risk.The reason was that everyone felt that such actions could put their careers on the line.After all we had a end semester exams and campus placements to look forward to.For that matter even my parents cautioned me against signing any protest letter or taking part in any form of protest(if anything was to ever take place).But our University is an illustrious institution.Never before in its 28 year history has anyone indulged in a strike or protest of any form.

But I think times are changing and students have found the courage to raise their voice again the Vice Vhancellor.In a letter addressed to the president the students have complained about the kind of measures enforced in our university.Now I am not sure whether this letter will help in undoing the bans,but knowing Mr.Kalam and his love for students I think he will certainly take up this matter with the VC.

But what's been the most pleasing aspect about this entire episode is that at long last we,the students,have shown some courage in taking up this matter and protesting against it and what better way but to address it to our President,who more than anyone else has immense faith in the youth of this country.

Now I am not sure as to who initiated this campaign.I am pretty sure it wasn't started by the Anna University students.We don't have the guts to do these things.This was most probably started by the SFI(Student Fedaration of India) or by the Almuni of this institution.Whoever it was kudos to them.

My only regret is that I never managed to sign the letter.Well it wasn't deliberate.I would have quite happily signed as many times as asked to,but I never knew of any such campaign and though some of my own classmates were among the signatories I wasn't approached by anyone and hence missed a great opportunity to contribute to this great and valorous campaign.

 

Exciting Year Ahead

I finally attended college after a month long semester vacation.The classes had commenced last week but I had decided to attend only from 19th nov.However due to rains which seem to have become a daily routine forced the govt to shut schools and colleges in view of a cyclonic threat.Thankfully the cyclone never came and thing returned to normal today.

The classes were a bit mundane as usual except for our Heat and Mass Transfer class which was quite interesting.

It was during lunch the things really got charged up as our seniors came around to advise us about campus placements.They were very informative and and were courteous to all our questions.They even handed over sheets listing the companies that came to our college this year.

In 6 months I along with nearly 130 students from my dept will be applying for a job.We have a choice to either join a software company or a core(mechanical) company.As of now I am still undecided on what to do.My primary aim is to succeed in CAT but I feel it would be prudent to have a back up plan and this is where placements come in.Now I am thinking of primarily trying for a software company.

This is because I don't intend to work in the company for my entire life.If I do well in CAT this year then I will go on to do an MBA or else I will work for an year or two and then try for CAT and GMAT.

Well this is my plan.Let's hope things work out well.Whatever happens over the next 6-10 months it's certainly not going to be as boring as my classes.

P.S:-I would like some info on companies like L&T,CTS,Fidelity,Manhattan Associates.Though I will google these companies it would be appreciable if someone working in these companies could provide me with some info.

 

The Vice Chancellor of Anna University-Academician or Dictator

I study at Anna University.It is considered to be a prestigious Engineering Institution in our country.Infact according to the India Today Colleges Survey this year it was the 8th best college in India only next to the IIT's.

Well it's a fact to be proud about and the varsity is indeed a remarkable and humungous institution that has 250 private colleges under it's purview.But the Varsity had been rated based on it's four constitutent colleges.

These four are
1.College of Engineering,Guindy
2.Madras Institute of Technology(MIT)
3.School of Architecture & Planning
4.A & C College of Technology

The above mentioned institutions are considered among the best in Chennai and every aspiring engineer would love to study in one of these institutions.

I am not aware about the other three institutions but as far as College of Engineering,Guindy(that's where I study)is concerned there are several chinks in its armour.Poor Infrastructure,dilapidated laboratories & classrooms,a largely lackadaisical and irresponsible faculty are just some of the problems.

Hence when there was a change in the Vice Chancellor this year many expected some changes.There was surprise and expectation.People were surpriseas he was the youngest person to be ever chosen as a VC.He was just 50,an alumuns of this College and had worked as a professor for several years at this very institution.What made it even more pleasing for me was the fact that he was from our Department,Mechanical Engineering.He had worked with our President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam and had given up a lucrative job in US to come back serve his country,atleast that's what he claimed.And well many expected him to revamp this institution partially if not completely.

Just after his swearing in,as with all elected representatives,he made tall claims,claims thated included a promise to "revolutionise education in Tamil Nadu" .Few weeks after his appointment he came over to our department and promised state of the art equipment,electronically equipped classrooms and blah blah.

Well it's been 6 months since his appointment and forget "state of the art equipment" he hasn't even replaced the malfunctioning fan in our classroom.

But what he has become notorious for are his decisions that are nothing short of authoritarianism.Sample these

Decision 1:-Students are required to wear only formal clothing.T-Shirts and Jeans are prohibited.

Explanation:-For boys it ws to make them accustomed to the demands of the industry.You can't wear jeans to your work place?Can you.I read in a magazine that some IT companies allow you to come in casuals on fridays.Ram this is for you.Please answer

For girls it was to prevent "distraction among boys".Hmmm what's that all about??

Decision 2:-Movies and other entertainment activites like singing and dancing are banned at cultural events

Explanation:-Movies corrupt one's mind.Dancing and Singing are waste of times.Children should concentrate on their studies.

Decision 3:-Students should not walk or sit in groups inside the campus.

Explanation:-Waste of time.Go read you fools!!!

Decision 4:-This is the most important of them all and the main purpose I am making this post.Cellphones are prohibited in classrooms and other academic areas.They had initially banned Camera Cellphones due to the DPS MMS scandal .But now the ban was on all cellphones.

Explanation:-Students waster their time sending SMS and don't pay attention to classes.

But the ban wasn't monitored and students hadn't stopped bringing cellphones.But all that changed on 14th december when classes resumed after semester holidays.Students were randomly picked up and had their pockets checked.Cellphones were seized and warnings were issued.

But weren't cellphones only banned inside classrooms.What about canteen and playground?Well it seems cellphones are banned everywhere.Well students realised that it was time to stop bringing their cellphones to classes and some even started realising the intention of this decision.

But things only seem to be getting worse.In an inexplicable move the varsity officials decided to raid hostels yesterday night and seized all cellphones.For god sakes what's the fault in having cell phones in your room.

You can justify the prohibition of cell phones inside classes but hostels???Are we supposed to be studying 24 hrs a day??What about students wanting to talk to their parents?Well everyone is supposed to use the booths inside the campus.The booths are few and far apart.What this has resulted in long queues outside the booths.May be this doesn't have anything to do with the cellphones at all.It could be our VC has been given a kickback by the telecom companies operating inside our Campus.

Now sample some of the explainations given by the Dean and VC.They claim that 4 years isn't sufficicent for B.E and that you need to keep studying all the time and that Cellphones serve as a distraction.For god sakes which age are you people living in??Merely prohibiting cellphones is not going to enthuse everybody to study hard.Studying and learning are intuitive and can't be enforced.Even before cellphones were banned substantial number of students used to go the library.I am pretty sure that the number even after this action would remain the same and won't change dramatically.Why don't you accept cellphone as a technology we have to live with.

What I do feel is that these are nothing more that politically intentioned activities.Our VC is believed to be a sychophant of PMK.PMK is a political party that is quite vociferous in it's opposition against anything modern.It has protested against the use of english,pre marital sex, and god knows what else.It's believed that our VC was appointed because of his links to the PMK leader and he may just be paying his debt back to the party by enforcing their orders.

Vice Chancellor is a post of great reputation and responsibilty.A person appointed to this office is expected to perform his duties with impeccably with great diligence and sincerity.Our VC seems to be doing that but he is focussing on the wrong front.It would be much more advisable if he diverted his attention to more pressing issues on the educational front and desisted himself from further tinkering with student freedom.

 

Three Down Three More To Go

It's been some time since I made a post.Infact I made my last post on 1st November.Since then I have been busy with my preparation for my semester exams.Over the past ten days a lot Chennai has been inundated with incessant downpour.Some of the exams were postponed but fortunately or unfortunately my exams went on as scheduled.Well 3 out of 6 exams were held this week including one which just got over an hour back.My performance so far has been satisfactory.While I have done exceedingly well in two of the papers my performance in Design of Machine Elements was deplorable to say the least.There are still 3 exams left.Will be back after I complete them as well.Till then see ya