Prof. Appa Rao Podile, Vice-Chancellor, University of Hyderabad (UoH), hoisted the National Flag on the 73rd Independence Day at the Gurbaksh Singh Miadan in the University Campus in the presence of Deans, Heads, faculty, Shri P. Sardar Singh, Registrar, Officers, students and staff.
On this occasion, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Podile, congratulated the University fraternity and called upon them to pay tributes to the freedom fighters and our leaders, who secured this independence for us. Similarly, regards were also paid to Prof. GB Singh (founding Vice-Chancellor) and the subsequent Vice-Chancellors, who have established a system that allowed us to grow enviously faster than several other institutions that were started around the same time in India and abroad. He noted that the University has been again placed in the top 150 in the world, with its achievements, in the first 50 years, which he described as a matter of great pride, and an enviable situation for the other institutions set up in the past 50 years that are competing with us for such recognition. He underlined asserting, “We have also been ranked among the Top in the country by Nature Index, Outlook, The Week, India Today. There should be no room for complacency with such distinctions conferred on us. We rather need to further consolidate and should put in efforts to give one push from here to match with the best of the institutions in India and abroad”.
Prof. Podile further highlighted, “We must take pride that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended our University for the coveted Institute of Eminence (IoE) status and this will help our institution to operate with greater autonomy in academic, administrative, and financial matters. This greater autonomy comes with the weight of responsibilities and expectations”. Exhorting, he said, “There are challenges ahead, including mobilizing resources, offering competitive postgraduate and research programmes, and attracting the best academic talent, while not losing sight of the public university’s social responsibilities and commitment to social justice and equity”.
From the academic year 2019-20, the University is offering new post-graduate programmes like Integrated M.Sc. Applied Geology, M.Tech. Microelectronics & VLSI Design, Ph.D. Electronics Science & Engineering, Ph.D. Systems & Computational Biology, Integrated M.Sc. & Ph.D. Animal Biology & Biotechnology and M.A. Sanskrit Studies. In order to ensure inclusiveness, the University has offered supernumerary seats to the socially backward students (4 ST and 2 EWS, in integrated program and 1 OBC candidate from Jammu & Kashmir in MPhil Urdu program), he exuded.
The Vice-Chancellor also spoke about the fund for Students’ Welfare, Academic and Research Grant (SWARG) created recently and how it will be augmenting the financial, infrastructural facilities for students so that the University’s commitment to the ideals of the public institution remain unchanged. He further said, “The University expects to increase, for example, support for students enrolled in the PhD programs, especially in cases where financial constraints may hinder their work. Conscious of the possible paucity of funding to the underprivileged students, SWARG is an attempt to ensure a smoother education life cycle in the public institution. With this aim, the recent Executive Council meeting has decided that an amount up to Rs. 10.00 lakhs per annum from the interest on corpus is earmarked for SWARG, enabling students’ welfare measures as an interim arrangement till the accumulated corpus under SWARG reaches a certain level”.
Prof. Podile announced that for the first time in any Indian University two new cadres, University Distinguished Professors and University Research Professors, are being instituted. He said, “These positions, awarded through a rigorous process of scrutiny by external experts, are primarily geared towards facilitating the highly productive and recognized researchers in the University. These posts come with specific privileges in terms of emoluments, facilities and workload (in terms of, for example, teaching and courses they can be expected to offer).” “The expectations are, naturally, of continuing if not enhanced output of quality publications, patents and other outcomes. With this measure, the University hopes to not only reward its best researchers but also position itself as a top-class space for research, where the work by such Professors will be highlighted”, he added.
The Vice-Chancellor also spoke about the University being granted Higher Education Funding Agency (HEFA) projects worth 127 crores. The HEFA is a novel method of funding the premier institutions by using the instrument of ‘securitising the future flows’. Under this, each institution agrees to escrow a specific amount from their internally earned resources (not govt grants) to HEFA. This forms basis for a credit line which can be used by the institution for creating the required capital and research assets. The Principal portion is repaid from the escrowed amount and the interest is met by Govt. For the institution, this is an interest-free amount and gives facility to the institution to build the required research infrastructure of world class.
Prof. Podile further said, “I am happy that we are receiving cooperation from all members of the University family in attaining ‘GREEN CAMPUS’ status for the University. The GHMC has been actively engaged in increasing the Green Cover with tree plantations at regular intervals inside the campus. In the last one year, close to 50000 saplings have been planted inside the campus in association with many agencies that also include Times of India, Aveva and GHMC. These plantations are necessary as such drives protect the environment and save the World from Global Warming. Trees play a vital role in controlling heat waves and are the only way to save the world from the dangers of depleting ecosystem”.
The Vice Chancellor also congratulated the University fraternity on the excellent Placements for the year 2018-19 which saw more than 341 students being placed in 139 companies with pay package up to Rs: 12 Lakhs per annum.
Prof. Podile said, “Our Alumni spread all over the Globe are our brand ambassadors and they are showing more interest in working with the University. It is wonderful to see our Alumni taking out time and meeting our faculty and officials whenever they are travelling within India and abroad. We would like our Alumni to involve and contribute more for the progress and eminence of our University”.
Concluding his address Prof. Podile said, “I would also like the students, faculty and staff to come up with intellectual ideas benefitting the University. Let us rededicate ourselves to take our beloved Nation to greater heights where every fellow citizen feels the sense of belongingness in the all inclusive growth of our motherland”.
Some delightful and motivating dance performances based on Social Harmony and National Integration were performed by the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya UoH Campus and the University Campus School.
For complete speech of the Vice-Chancellor, kindly click on the below link