Like all new universities the Bodoland University established in 2009 by an Act of the Legislative Assembly of Government of Assam has taken few years of gestation period to come up to the present level of being a university in its true sense. Understandably the period of the two previous Vice-Chancellors were responsible for putting statutory bodies in placed, obtaining approval for new academic department and grants for infrastructure developments. The present Vice-Chancellor is responsible for all round academic and administrative strengthening and consolidation of the status university.
Back in February 2019 when the present incumbent took charge of Bodoland University as its third Vice-Chancellor, the university did not have 12B concurrence from the UGC mainly due to the vacancies of faculty and statutory officer positions and lack of basic infrastructure. Only a few projects sponsored by ICMR, DST and BTC were housed in the university. There was only one Professor in the Department of English and no Professors in the other 16 academic departments. Only 25 private and non-provincialized degree colleges, 4 DIET & one Government Teachers Training College, one private and one-provincialized B.Ed. colleges were affiliated to the university. The total enrollment in the aforesaid affiliated colleges were less than 3000 and 50 students each in the aforesaid affiliated B.Ed. colleges.
The first and foremost initiative of the present Vice-Chancellor was to fill up vacant posts of faculty and statutory officer and cleared due promotion of faculties under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) of the UGC. In August 2019 as many as 6 faculties were given promotion to Professor and 29 Assistant Professors were stage promotion under CAS and some more faculties and some statutory officers including Controller of Examinations and Finance Officer were soon appointed in October 2019. This has enabled Bodoland University to concurred 12B status from the UGC.
The first convocation of the university was held in March 2020 followed by the second convocation in April 2022 by the present Vice-Chancellor. There are many first which the present Vice-Chancellor has taken up including constitution and holding of Finance Committee meeting as Bodoland University Act 2009, procurement from GeM, introducing PFMS, developed new website, providing university email ids to faculties and staffs, installation of RFID in the library, installation of remote access softwares in the library, streamlined examinations, granting study leave to faculties, granting of CCL to employees, publication of Annual Reports for five consecutive years, a number of MoU signed with other institutions and organizations, created fund for faculties for participation in international seminars/conferences, all academic departments are provided fund for departmental library development and each of the centre are provided funding undertaking research and studies in issues of local and social relevance. Above all academic activities were managed successfully during the COVID19 pandemic.
Prof. M. K. Chaudhury, the former Education Advisor and Prof. P.J. Handique, Vice-Chancellor, Gauhati University were supportive and instrumental in convening a meeting with the Principals of 22 provincialized and one government colleges to transfer back from Gauhati University to Bodoland University after obtaining 12B concurrence. The former Hon’ble Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi and the Government were kind enough to issue an office order to this effect. The University maintained status quo to the 23 colleges of Guahati University in terms of PG subjects and research guide recognition when they affiliated to Bodoland University. The number of enrollment in undergraduate courses in the affiliated colleges has increase to 16000 from a mere 3000 in 2019 while that in post graduate courses in the university and affiliated colleges has risen to 1400 from 900 in 2019.
The Vice-Chancellor on regular basis interact with faculties to motivate and guide them in engaging scientifically, socially and culturally relevant research and publications. Emphasis is given to get the best of the best faculties at all level adhering to prescribed reservations. The University has now 12 Professors and 13 Associate Professors including faculties with Post Doc from Oxford University and Universities in USA as compared to one Professor and 8 Associate Professors in 2009. Faculties publication in peer reviewed academic journals indexed by Web of Science, Thompson Reuters, Scopus and UGC CARE list has increased more than tenfold as compared to 2019. Many funding agencies including NEC, BTC, DBT, DST-SERB, UNICEF, ICMR, ASTEC and ICSSR are now being undertaken by the faculties of the University.
In the tenure of the present Vice-Chancellor many pending infrastructure developments grant in aid of Government of Assam were completed and few are under progress. New Arts Building, 6 units Officer Quarter, 12 units of Teaching Faculty Quarter, Animal House, Plant Tissue Culture Lab, Botanical Garden and University Guest House were completed and some of them were inaugurated by the former Hon’ble Governor of Assam. Three academic departments, namely, Commerce, Education and Geography Departments were shifted to the New Arts Building from the make shift arrangement in the Central Library Building. BTC Government has constructed drainage around the main campus in Kokrajhar, has installed smart board in all the academic departments. Infrastructure development is extended to the Haldibari site of the university by constructing boundary walls and housing 6 units of the total Teaching Faculty Quarter, Plant Tissue Culture Lab and Botanical Garden. From the university internal resource, a bank building has been constructed and SBI Bodoland University Branch is open in the main campus. Ground floor of Chemistry & Physics Departments and ICT Unit are under construction in the main campus while Botany & Zoology Departments buildings are under construction in the Haldibari site of the university, all with administrative approval of the GoA. Towards steps for uninterrupted power supply to the university a plot of land in the main campus has been allotted to APDCL for setting up a power sub-station. A tamul (betal nut) baghan has been developed in the main campus from the VC’s discretionary fund.
Now the stage is set for the implementation four years undergraduate programme (FYUP) under the NEP2020 from the academic session 2023-24 along with other state universities in Assam with the approval of all statutory bodies of Bodoland University. After 15 years of its establishment the university the SSR is accepted for the first cycle accreditation by NAAC. At this crucial juncture the Bodoland University highly valued the considered support of all stake holders, students, civil society organizations and common people to accomplish the most important milestone of completing NAAC first cycle.
The writer is Vice Chancellor, Bodoland University, Bodoland, Assam
1 thought on “Surging Bodoland University”
Prof Singh, you have done a lot for the development of University within your capacity. Hope this will continue. Hope all stake holders, faculties, students, local govtment and all social organizations will help you for further upliftment of the University.
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