Preservation is the best celebration

The iconic symbol of Telangana, Osmania University is celebrating its centenary year. However, one cannot ignore the alarm bells that have been ringing on deaf ears for the past decade with successive governments refusing to accord it the priority it deserves

Past grandeur, anecdotes and tales of yore hold great allure for us and we recall every small achievement of the past with a nostalgia that can make everything in the present seem minuscule and pale in comparison.

We become animated in our discussions of “good old days” knowing in our hearts that this expression has been part of the narrative of every generation since man became civilised and used words to convey emotion.

To use the famous expression of the poet Emerson the “Past can leave an aching void, the world can never fill.” Poetic expression and prolific prose followed by events reflecting our culture and ethos are welcome while celebrating milestones whether it pertains to an individual or an institution.

I am not being a wet blanket and opposing the grandiose celebrations that go with institutions that have stood out as “monuments of excellence, achievement and higher learning”, but I definitely feel upholding the ideals and values with which the institution was established and striving for excellence are a more meaningful way of celebration.

There are any number of eminent educationists who have been at the helm of movements to preserve the ‘autonomy’ that the institution enjoyed and distinguished it from many other hallowed institutions in the country who feel this way.

Osmania University with its magnificent Arts College building known for its architectural elegance, the sprawling campus set in a picturesque location and tree lined avenues make every Hyderabadi as well as students from the rest of Telangana proud but one cannot ignore the alarm bells that have been ringing, alas, on deaf years for the past decade with governments refusing to accord it the priority it deserves.

As it is all set to celebrate hundred years of existence, the University founded by the seventh Nizam Nawab Osman Ali Khan and named after him, is the seventh oldest in India and the third oldest in the South needs a fresh infusion of life to save it from the present state of despair.

The finances of the University are in disarray with a systematic decline in block grants every year. Most of the money available with the University goes for payment of salaries and pensions, leaving very little funds for development, the Vice-Chancellor himself admitted.

“While the sanctioned faculty strength is 1,260, only 550 are on the rolls. Most of the 54 departments do not have professors, assistant professors and associate professors. Hostel facilities are insufficient, mess charges unable to meet student needs, drinking water, sanitation and other requirements neglected.

We have even lost the NAAC accreditation. Isn’t this a cause for concern?” asks an agitated Prof. Bhattu Satyanarayana, President of the Osmania University Teachers Association (OUTA).

At the forefront of bringing out issues concerning the University, the organisation has resisted attempts by different governments to destroy its autonomy.

“It is important to preserve the standard of a public university like Osmania that has rendered yeoman service for education but government policies are always intended to encourage private universities just as they are encouraging corporate hospitals at the cost of government hospitals.

Vacancies in the Executive Council have not been filled even though it is mandatory to have a 12-member council of eminent academicians and experts as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.

The Osmania University is in a state of coma and needs urgent revival,” warns eminent environmentalist and former president OUTA, Dr K Purushottam Reddy. There was a “Save Osmania- Save Telangana” agitation on this very campus in the past, he reminds us.

Touted as an institution that ushered in revolutionary changes with students who had the strength to bring down governments that did not live up to their promises, the university ironically is unable to fight for its own rights and restore its past glory.

“What is the point in merely announcing new departments when vacancies continue in the existing ones? What percentage of the 200 crore allocated for celebrations will be spent for maintenance and expansion of infrastructure? Can mere building without adequate staff make a great institution? Political analyst Dr P Venugopala Reddy asks.

A fitting tribute to the University in its centenary year would attempt to ensure that the aim with which it was established is realised. Putting in place an independent executive council, recruiting prescribed staff, preserving its beautiful buildings and looking at ways to raise resources that can be utilised for development are requirements that need to be addressed.

They are causes that will find support from alumni in different parts of the world. A concerted will, credible action and transparency can restore it to life and its original vibrant state. To make the present as glorious as the past is an action more precious than any symbolic celebration.