Aligarh Muslim University Vice-Chancellor PROF. P.K. ABDUL AZIS elaborates on the Aligarh Declaration and also sheds light on the various developmental initiatives he has taken to bring the University on the international map. Never ever caring for the opposition and criticism, he carries on with his agenda of giving AMU an international look. Meet the “Man with a Healing Touch” in conversation with SAAD BIN ZIA.
What are the major achievements that you can count on?
First and the foremost is the degree of peace and tranquillity that the campus has been able to achieve. I have been able to reclaim the University from the clutches of criminals and anti-social elements. Prior to my joining as the Vice Chancellor here, everyone – right from the top down to the bottom – was functioning under the cloud of fear psychosis. When I took over I found that students were divided along various lines such as regional, linguistic etc. I am happy that I have been able to restore a degree of confidence and provide a healing touch for the emotionally estranged group of students. During the last one year there has been no student agitation, no loss of classes; no teacher was abused or insulted; examinations are being held at the scheduled time. We have been able to set in motion a whole lot of important development initiatives.
What about the internet facility in the campus?
One of the most important development initiatives is the expansion of ICT facility in the campus. In a month’s time the bandwidth will be increased to 54 MBS. As of today all of the departments in the main campus are connected to high speed internet facility 24×7. So, in a way it’s a kind of ICT revolution. Five computers each in every department of the university have been installed for use by the students. Every department would soon boast of an IT hub with full time access to internet to the faculty members, students and research scholars. ICT network has become a reality for the students first time in the history of the AMU. A digital resource centre in Maulana Azad Library has been established wherein hundreds of journals are available online and hundreds of CDs have also been made available. Students can access innumerable journals online any time of the day. By June this year the main campus and the other campus will be networked and linked together.
What are your plans for the Maulana Azad Library?
Apart from the above mentioned facilities, Maulana Azad Library would soon have a separate block equipped with fully air-conditioned modern facility for keeping the manuscripts. An auditorium and dedicated digital facility inside the Library building are also proposed. So the Maulana Azad Library would be having a fully modernised block at a cost of around five hundred fifty crore rupees.
How do you plan to improve the academic infrastructure of the University?
A new social science block and agriculture faculty are also proposed at a cost of around five crore rupees each. Our demand for upgrading the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College to the level of All India Institute of Medical Sciences has also been accepted. This will be done at a cost of around one hundred fifty crore rupees. AMU’s proposals for upgradation and modernisation of schools has also been accepted. These schools would get affiliation from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). More than one hundred regular teachers would be appointed in these schools to improve the academic standard. All of this work is to be carried out at a cost of one hundred twenty crore rupees.
What about the funds lapsed under the Tenth Plan?
When I took charge of the University most of the funds given under the Tenth Plan were about to be lapsed. My request to the UGC for utilising the unused funds was granted under special circumstances. The UGC activated its mechanism and all of the contracts are now given to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). All of these projects are slated to be completed by June this year only. Not only this UGC sanctioned additional funds – more than three times – for the University.
Is the University planning to establish special centres despite opposition from certain quarters?
One of the historic initiatives is that the AMU has decided to establish five special centres at Katihar (Bihar), Murshidabad (West Bengal), Mallapuram (Kerala), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and Pune in Maharashtra. The Government of India has accepted the proposal in principle and has advised the University to contact the respective state governments to complete the formalities including acquiring land free of cost. West Bengal has agreed to give three hundred fifty acres of land, Kerala government has informed the University that it is ready to dispense with four hundred acres of land in Mallapuram District, and the Chief Minister of Bihar has announced that the required land would be provided for the AMU. The responses from other state governments are awaited. We have submitted a proposal for Rs. two thousand crore to start these five special centres with. The idea is to establish the Aligarh Model so as to take the Sir Syed Movement to different parts of the country. The existing laws regarding the establishment of off campuses and special centres away from the main campus are highly ambiguous. They can be interpreted either way. But we have taken a very proactive view of the provisions.
Could you please elaborate on the Aligarh Declaration 2009 and how do you plan to take it forward?
The background of Aligarh Declaration is that AMU established a special centre 20 years ago for the advancement of Muslims of India. But unfortunately even after such a long time it was unable to launch a nationwide campaign for the advancement of Muslims in the country. So, when I took charge I found a window of opportunity to sensitise our people. This led to the idea of organising a national seminar on minority education to take stock of the status of education of Muslims in the country. The chief idea was to assess the role played by Muslim NGOs in the field of education. Another objective was to gauge the gap in other states and then to analyse whether the success stories could be replicated in Northern education-deficient states particularly in Muslim concentration areas as identified by the Sachar Committee as well. In the said national seminar eight Muslim NGOs presented their success stories. After debating for two days the people from different regions felt that there has to be taken a united effort at the all India level, and prepared a national plan known as the Aligarh Declaration 2009.
It is basically the picking-up of the Aligarh Movement. After Sir Syed and his companions left this world there was nobody to take it as a Movement. Aligarh remained as a cradle of education. Unfortunately the Muslims of India could not replicate it. In fact nobody ever thought of establishing a University albeit a variety of reasons. The purpose of the Aligarh Declaration is that education should be only at the hands of Muslims. The Declaration aims that by 2020 the Muslim community should attain hundred per cent literacy, and hundred per cent primary and matriculation education.
What are your views about reservation for Muslims?
Reservation should have been done right from day one after partition. Muslims should have been given reservation in all of the areas of education and employment because then only the balanced growth is possible as part of the social engineering. This is the only way to ensure that every one feels that he/she is part of the nation building process. In my opinion reservation is key to Muslim empowerment. However, I suggest that Muslims should be given reservation for a certain period so that they can come on par with other communities as well. In every area where public money is spent Muslims should be given reservation.
How did you find the students?
Students are basically very loving and caring. If they are given the right type of mentoring then they are sure to do exceptionally well. The institution of Aligarh Muslim University is really great. The training and values that are inculcated in the minds of the students are very good. The students who have left the University some 10 or 15 years ago have made their mark wherever they have gone.