Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Oct 04:
National Secular Forum (NSF) today protest against administration of Central University of Jammu (CUJ) for crushing the Dogra sentiments by deliberately ignoring the introduction of PG programme and research work in Dogri despite completing seven years of its establishment. The protest was led by NSF state chief, Dr Vikas Sharma. The agitating students raised slogans against Vice Chancellor Prof Ashok Aima and held him responsible for the prevailing mess.
Addressing a gathering here today, NSF state chief Dr Vikas Sharma blamed the incumbent Vice Chancellor Prof. Ashok Aima of downplaying the sentiments of Jammu people who fought hard for the establishment of Central University in Jammu.
“We got this University after a long struggle and had expectations that full-fledged Dogri department will be opened for the promotion of local literature and culture. Also, a chair after the name of some tall personality of Dogra land will also be established to promote research in the field of Dogri literature. But, things turned totally different as the CUJ administration has failed to fulfill the popular demand of Jammu people,” he said.
Blaming the incumbent Vice Chancellor for complete mess, Dr Sharma mentioned that Prof Ashok Aima was busy in maintaining liaison in power corridors at personal level and sacrificing the interests of the institution to accommodate the wishes of his political masters. “It seems that one political party has hijacked the institution and implementing its agenda through favorable appointments. The head of the institution is behaving like a tout to serve the interests of outsiders while ignoring the wishes of stakeholders and local populace,” he added.
The NSF chief alleged that under the tenure of incumbent Vice Chancellor several irregularities have been committed wherein some anti-Jammu people have been promoted and adjusted in this institution much to the like his godfather who was pushed out of this institution by the people of Jammu for his proven anti-Jammu stance. “It is been three and half years since he took over the reins of University but he has failed to make permanent appointment of top officials barring one, who is also his favorite. He is deliberately doing so to avoid appointing any person for Dogra community at higher levels,” he further alleged.
Dr Vikas further said that Semester VI of B. Voc subject was just of two months and Dr Jaya Bhasin, who is favourite of VC Prof Aima could not complete Semester VI on time and to avoid smoldering resentment of students against Dr Jaya Bhasin for her such an inability, university conducted the examination of semester V in ending May 2018 and that of Semester VI in early August 2018 which is unheard of an unprecedented.
Dr Sharma expressed his anguish over carelessness and casual way of attending the students and said that this is definitely tarnishing the image and standards of academic in Centre University, Jammu reducing it to the status akin to private money minting Institution. He urged the University Grants Commission, New Delhi to depute a special team of officers from UGC to hold thorough probe into the irregularities in squeezing the span of semester from six months to two months as also holding the examination in a hush manner at the cost of academic interests of students there.
Dr Sharma added that CUJ authorities committed bunglings in the recent non teaching appointments owing to which the selection list was uploaded on the University website after joining of the appointees. Also, the name of selected candidates was not displayed on list and instead their roll nos were shown to keep things under cover, he added. He also urged the President of India and Union HRD Ministry to take cognizance of corruption and nepotism-favoritism in CUJ and order inquiry to unravel the wrong doings. Among those who were present in the protest included, Papinder Singh, Pushpinder Singh, Istaq Naik, Pardeep Sharma, Sourab, Surjit Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Ajesh Dubey, Tushar, Sameer gupta and others.
