AMU: Four years of Azis: Complete failure. I-Academics.

Most tragic period in the history but Azis claimed his performance satisfactory. How can he sit on judgment for his own doings?

Let us, therefore, have a look at the academics first as the financial and administrative matters have secondary importance in a University;

Session 2010 – 2011: A Sample Survey:
1. No admissions are made in Ph. D. courses in most of the Faculties but the VC claimed third position amongst Central University, is false and totally baseless. The VC is requested to provide a proof.
2. Mandatory 180 days (for years length courses BA and SSSC) and 90 days (for Masters degree) of actual teaching not achieved and exams held on time, a fraud.
Naturally, the courses, were not completed and no questions are asked from the untaught courses, nobody bothers about it like the past.
3. VC managed the award of a Ph. D. degree (in law) to one of his political supporter in 2010, who got himself registered in 1992 and had not completed his mandatory stay of two years at Aligarh and his admission had lapsed after five years in 1997 it self, which could not be revived as per rules yet the degree was awarded.
4 Requirement of 75% attendance has been reduced to 30% illegally; devalued degrees and adversely affected prospects in the job market, to accommodate 200 odd and under pressure from pampered Students Union and self styled leaders.
5. Promoted copying in examinations by shielding the wrong-doers through the most unexpected direct intervention of the Students Union leaders and others, never witness before. No action followed to stop this against the pampered and encouraged students used to terrorize the campus.
6. Supplementary exam in B.D.S (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) a prestigious course, introduced by the VC who has no authority, to appease rowdies, which threatened de-recognition of degree.
7. Copying has been alleged at various illegally established Entrance Test Centres out sideAligarh.
8. Money changed hands in a big way in admissions in LLB and MBA at the two AMU Centres as alleged. CBI probe shall reveal it all.
9. At the two blessed AMU Centres at Murshidabad (constituency of Pronab Mukerjee) and Malappuram, the classes (though totally illegally) commenced from 1st March, 2011 and the session is to terminate in July while the session of AMU commenced from Aug.2010 – May 2011. (information supplied under RTI)
As such, the AMU Centres shall hold exams after just four months as against nine months at A.M.U.
10. On top of it all, at the AMU Centres summer vacations have now been announced from 22ndJune to 15th July (Press report on 26.6.11) (V.C. accorded approval who has no authority as rules do not exist.

Board of Studies of Management declined to appoint examiners without which examiners cannot be appointed.
11. The so called AMU Centres are; totally misconceived illegal un-authorized and anti-University and it is totally misleading to claim that concessions could be extended to Muslims. The things are highly manipulative, unprecedented politically motivated under pressure from Congress to mislead Muslims for electoral gains. It is a fraud and assumes the size of a scam. (the silence of Muslims as a whole is most disgusting, alarming and suicidal). The proposed amendments of the Statutes have not been passed by the Parliament. As such, the Centres are patently illegal.
12. The Faculty of Science where lights used to remain ‘on’ throughout the nights is thrown into frightening darkness as soon as the sun sets in as also it looks deserted in the afternoons.

The Departments of Studies are starving for funds, and laboratories are in acute shortage of sophisticated equipments, books etc.

In the 5th plan, out of the 1300 crores requisitioned merely 100 crores were promised by the ‘friendly Govt.’ to the ‘loyal VC’ despite his dreams and tall claims of achieving international standards.

These facts do not only refute the tall claims and nail the lies & exaggerations of the VC but also they point clearly that the VC has neither the will not the ability to administer the affairs of the University effectively and sincerely.
Write-up on financial and administrative aspects shall follow.

Prof. Ziauddin Ahmad,
Dept of Botany, AMU, Aligarh
Email: ziauddinahmad@yahoo.co.in

AMU Campuses vs Special Centres vs Visitor’s Permission

Prof. Azis declared that the according of the permission by the Visitor to establish Centres (under Section 12[2] of AMU Act) at Murshidabad (the constituency of the very powerful Shri Pranab Mukherjee, believed to be the force behind it) and Mallapuram (Prof. Azis’s home State) is the happiest moment of his life.

Because he has served the Congress bosses well or served the AMU, Aligarh movement and Muslims at large - Having made no secret of the admission policy by Prof. Azis (though not authorized) that there shall be no quota and admissions shall be made on the basis of All India Entrance test, and status of the proposed Centres is not known as the Minority Status of AMU itself is not known (case pending in Supreme Court) where is the confusion. These Centres have nothing to do with Muslims the way AMU has. It is a different matter that Prof. Azis, the AMU, VC has preferred to sit on the other side of the fence.

Legality and Academic aspects:

Under Section 12(2) the Visitor is empowered to permit establishment of’ Special Centres’, ‘Special Labs’, etc and not Centres. ‘Special Centre’ and Centre are not synonymous as Centre is treated equivalent to department (rightly or wrongly) while ‘Special Centre’ is only a supplementary facility to an existing department.

Furthermore, if a Centre (i.e. a department) is intended, the amendment of the Statutes is a must [Statutes 20(2)(b)]

Therefore, if the Visitor intended to accord permission for a ‘Centre’ it is clearly beyond her powers and a blunder, and the error or the oversight needs to be rectified forthwith, before the President is dragged into controversies.

If we recall, it was till yesterday and all the way, ‘AMU Campuses’ and the VC was making all the tall claims and has even taken several step (unauthorized). But this turn around has a very strong reason- no University can establish two identical departments/ Centres, leave alone Campuses.

Finally but undeniably AMU is debarred from establishing a Campus/ a department/ a Centre/ Special Centre, whatever, beyond 25kms of the University Mosque under the Section 5(9A) of the AMU, Act, so that the Residential character remains protected.

The Govt. is playing game with AMU and the Muslims, for electoral gains, by making false and impracticable promises and unfortunately the honourable VC, whose helpfulness is too well known now, has played in the powerful hands of the Govt. in this brazen way. Are we so helpless???

Prof. Ziauddin Ahmad (Retd)
Dept of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh, India

AMU Campuses: Legal Impossibility Rather a Fraud: Some Pertinent Questions and Answers

A.M.U. Campuses: Legal Impossibility rather a Fraud: Some Pertinent Questions and Answers.

The Aligarh Muslim University has its own legal system based on its Act, Statutes (passed by the Parliament), Ordinances and Regulations. Policy decisions are taken by the Authorities of the University, namely, the Court, Executive Council, Academic Council, Faculties and Finance Committee in their respective spheres, jointly or otherwise, as per the laid down procedures. The Vice-Chancellor is the principal executive and academic Officer (salaried) officer of the University and is duty bound to give effect to the decisions of all the Authorities of the University under Section 19(2) of the University Act and ensure observance of rules (Statute 3 (2)).

The establishment of AMU campuses, if any, is a major policy matter which requires amendment of the Statutes as various departments shall be created. The procedure is provided in Section 28(3) of the Act. The process of amendment is to be initiated at the level of Faculty/ Faculties and then it is passed on to the Academic Council, Executive Council, University Court and the Finance Committee and then to the Visitor for approval. The procedure has not been followed nor shall any attempt made to amend the necessary Statutes, knowingly fully well that such an action does not lie in the ambit of the AMU Act.

1. Therefore, for public consumption, in his usual best, Prof. Azis maintained that amendment to the Statutes is not required and mere permission of the Visitor is suffice (to put the record straight, even the permission of the Visitor has not been obtained, which shall certainly be not forthcoming and what about the restriction of 25km). This is the height of dishonesty and highhandedness, unbecoming of a Vice-Chancellor to bring disrepute and irreparable harm to the University to carry out the designs of the powers for their political gains on one hand and personal gains on the other. It is indeed shameful and disgusting, rather intolerable.

2. The Aligarh Muslim University is an autonomous Residential Muslim University and protection to this basic character is well enshrined under its laws.

The University is not entitled to establish basic teaching units, the departments/centres (synonymous) nor special centres, laboratories to supplement the needs of the existing departments beyond 25 km of the University Mosque (Section 5 (9-A) of the University Act). It is this feature which makes it a residential non-affiliating University. It was precisely because of this reason that Mr. Hamid Ansari had to hurriedly close down the Centres illegally and unauthorisedly established by Mr.Mahmoodur Rahman in Dubai and South India. (The fact that the respectable teachers were in agreement on these occasions tell a different story but a sorry state).

3. As a general rule, no University in the Country is entitled to establish two identical departments nor the MHRD and UGC so empowered. How then, the AMU be permitted to establish a college consisting of departments, leave alone a campus. (Moreover, AMU Act does not have the jurisdiction for establishing a Campus of its own and no amendments to the Act can provide for it). The University does not have the power even to create a post of a teacher without going through the process of creation within the University and obtaining the sanction of the MHRD/UGC thereupon.

Statute 20 (2) of the University Statutes mandates that no department shall be established or abolished except by the Statutes. Therefore, establishment of a Faculty, College or Campus comprising different departments warrants amendment of Statute 20(b). The assertion of the Vice Chancellor that amendment to the Statutes is not required is totally misleading, erroneous, mischievous and dishonest.

4. All claims, announcements and steps taken by an over enthusiastic Prof. Azis, with regard to the establishment of the five A.M.U. Campuses are unauthorized, illegal and ultra vires of the Act and Statutes which surely make a good case to launch legal criminal proceedings against him.

5. The MHRD and UGC, on their part cannot plead ignorance of the entire rigmarole and their connivance with Prof. Azis for past twelve months extending all possible support clandestinely for their ulterior motives. This does not augur well for MHRD, UGC or UPA.

6. How could the allocation of 25 crores each for Murshidabad and Mallapuram for establishing the Campuses be made? The Parliament seems to have been misled in allocating funds for Murshidabad and Mallapuram Campuses in the budget of 2009 full facts seem to have not been placed before in the House regarding the legality and feasibility of these Campuses.

7. The belief of the protagonists of AMU Campuses has turned out to be a mere myth and shattered the hopes of the Muslim Community. With the categorical assertion by Prof. Azis that there shall be no quota and admissions shall be made on the basis of open all India competition.

8. How can these Campuses, thousands of miles away from Aligarh, be managed and administered effectively by the A.M.U from Aligarh? It is humanly impossible. It would be rather more proper for Prof. Azis to sit in Aligarh and try to administer the University properly.

9. Prof. Azis, on his own, has announced the courses to be taught at these Campuses and the teaching schedule without any formal decision by the University’s relevant authorities (Board of Studies, Faculty, Academic Council and Executive Council). Is this the way to deal with such an important matter? Is it desirable to leave a University to the whims of an individual and that too of the intent and repute of Prof. Azis?

All these exercises wrapped in half truths and brazen untruths projected as glittering promises never meant to be taken seriously. It is time for the Muslim Community to guard itself against these platitudes and seductive slogans rather a fraud being placed on them. The only beneficiary appears to be the UPA in general and Minister for Finance, Mr. Pranab Mukerjee in particular who found an opportunity to nurse his constituency at the expense of public funds and enhance his electoral prospects. Hon`ble Prof. Azis would be a natural beneficiary in various ways to the best of his satisfaction, and our dismay and displeasure.

Prof. Ziauddin Ahmed (Retd)

Dept of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh, India