The newly appointed vice-chancellor of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Professor Pradeep Kumar Mishra, said he is not in favour of AKTU holding offline exams especially at a time when Coronavirus cases are on the rise across the state.
The new Vice-Chancellor of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Prof. Pradeep Kumar Mishra, has said that he is not in favor of AKTU holding offline exams, especially a when coronavirus cases are on the rise across the state.
The Vice-Chancellor told the press shortly after taking office here on Saturday. Professor Mishra was appointed V-C for three years from the day he took office. He replaced Professor Vineet Kansal, who received an additional charge from the AKTU in August last year.
“Student health and safety is paramount. I am not in favor of offline exams in times of Covid-19,” he said. Professor Mishra said he would speak to state government officials to facilitate online exams for students if coronavirus cases do not ease.
“And if a student misses the current odd semester AKTU exams after testing positive for Covid-19, they will be allowed to sit for the re-exam,” the V-C said.
These views of the Vice Chancellor are of great significance as thousands of AKTU students have been actively campaigning for online exams on various social media platforms. The V-C said that shortly after Governor Anandiben Patel appointed him Vice Chancellor of the AKTU, a number of students contacted him by phone asking for online exams.
“As I did not support AKTU then, I chose not to comment or react on this,” said Prof Mishra, who was previously Vice Chancellor of Jharkhand University of Technology. in Ranchi. He said, “This university does not have a great infrastructure and yet they have arranged online exams for the students. AKTU definitely has better infrastructure compared to Jharkhand Technical University.”
Focus on rural entrepreneurship
Professor Mishra made it clear that if India is to develop, the institution must promote rural entrepreneurship by improving the skills of rural people. Rural youth will be exploited and the AKTU will work in this direction. Innovation and incubation is another area the university will seek to focus on.
Academic environment and innovation
The new vice-chancellor said he will try to improve the academic environment and develop an ecosystem where innovation will be encouraged. Traditional branches of engineering such as civil and chemical engineering will be revisited. The specialization and mass training of students is another area he will attempt to address.
Instructions intended to provide guidance to the company
Professor Mishra said that in the past, institutions were meant to give direction to society. Now, efforts will be made to regain this position.
On his appointment
“It is an honor for me to be appointed Vice Chancellor of AKTU. It will take me 15 days to a month to officially take over AKTU as Vice Chancellor,” said Mishra, who earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
“My responsibility will be to take the university to new heights so that it can compete with other nationally and internationally renowned technical universities. Innovation will be my field of intervention. Research work will be encouraged,” Mishra said.
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