Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University has stopped serving drinking water in sealed bottles. The members attending Senate meeting on Friday were served drinking water in stainless steel glasses covered by steel plates. The change has been brought about following appeal by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of stopping single use plastic.

 

It was a welcome change after several years. Earlier, the members were served water in glasses only. With the advent of packaged drinking water a huge quantity of water bottles were being purchased by the University. Almost all the departments - teaching and administrative- were purchasing bottled water.

 

A resolution on the subject was also moved by Pravin Randive on preparing a plan to maintain cleanliness in the University premises and also in premises of affiliated colleges. The demand for such a plan was made in view of 150th birth year of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister’s appeal to eliminate plastic waste.

 

Netaji Subhashchandra Bose: Dinesh Sheram moved a resolution demanding organisation of lectures, seminars, exhibitions, etc., to mark 75th year of formation of Azad Hindi Sena by Netaji Subhashchandra Bose, on October 21, 1943. His efforts bore fruits and he had announced his Government in some parts (islands) of the country. The Senate agreed to the proposal by Sheram. The programmes are likely to be organised soon.

 

Expressing discontent over inclusion of various subjects under one faculty, the Senate of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University has constituted a committee under senior member R G Bhoyar to write to the Government to review the arrangement of faculties.

 

The University earlier had nine faculties, after the medical sciences was shifted to the new Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. After the new Maharashtra Public Universities Act was passed in 2016, these faculties were reduced to four.

 

The issue was raised by Dr Ajit Jachak during question hour in the Senate meeting on Friday. Fine Arts and Music have been included under Inter-disciplinary Faculty. The students opting for music as a subject at BA level will be under Humanities Faculty and at post-graduation under Inter-disciplinary Faculty. Similarly, Fine Arts, as the term itself indicates, earlier was under Arts Faculty and is now included in Inter-disciplinary Faculty.

 

Vice-Chancellor Dr S P Kane himself stated that during discussion at higher level with the experts’ committee formed by the Government, he had raised the same issue. he too is surprised with this arrangement under the new Act.

 

Following discussion in the meeting it was decided that the feelings of the Senate members should be conveyed to the Government. Prof Bhoyar was assigned the work of writing report in this connection with Dr Jachak. It will be sent to the government through the Vice-Chancellor.

 

The base for inclusion of these subjects in this faculty is the notification issued by The Department of Higher and Technical Education dated June 22, 2017 and adopted by the Academic Council on June 27, 2017. Pro-VC Dr Vinayak Deshpande also stated that for inclusion of subjects like Home Economics and Music and Fine Arts, the curriculum will have to be changed to make it an inter-disciplinary study in the true sense.

Upgradation of curriculum has been undertaken on a wider scale by Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University. The students have made complaints that the information they want is not available on the sight of the University.

 

Adv Manmohan Bajpai raised the issue of upgrading the website of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, during Senate meeting on Friday. Officiating Registrar Dr Neeraj Khati stated that the site was outsourced when launched and is controlled by expert in the field of Information Technology. The students have the option to post their grievances on the website. With the changes being brought in curriculum the old question papers and model answers may not be found relevant by the students.

 

Vice-Chancellor Dr S P Kane stated that the University has appointed even Social Media Champion, for getting feedback from the students, teachers and others. Dr Abhay Deshmukh has been appointed Social Medic Champion and will review messages on social media. The feedback will be reported to the Board of Information Technology, for upgradation of the website.

 

Dr Khati stated that the website is being made student-friendly so that they are not required to face any kind of difficulty. The site will be updated continuously. Vishnu Changde, Dr Dhanashri Borikar also participated in the discussion. Some members demanded extension of Question Hour as only three questions could be discussed. Some members also alleged that questions of some ‘favourite’ members are taken first. Dr Kane explained that the questions are taken strictly on ‘First Come First Served’ basis. Dr Khati also quoted inward numbers and dates on which the questions by members were submitted. The adjourned meeting of October 24, was attended by a very few members on Friday.