Tawseef Lone
SRINAGAR, Sept 10: In what provides a stark reflection of its academic environment, authorities in the University of Kashmir’s flagship department, Media Education Research Centre (MERC), have decided to call it a day at 1600 hrs (4 pm) hereafter, angering students.
“This is for the information of all the teaching and non-teaching staff that the department shall remain open up to 4 pm during all working days,” order No F(Deptt-Open)MERC/KU/12 dated 03-09-2012 issued by the HoD, Prof S Mufeed Ahmad, says.
At least eighty students of the department, which has produced a galaxy of journalist in the past, see it as a “deliberate attempt” to impede academic activity.
“After 4 pm, we used to attend trainings and designing sessions to make good the time lost due to occasional interruptions,” an agitated student, wishing anonymity, said.
“This is an unexpected move from a person who has been teaching management. Is this what he calls managing the department with a professional touch,” she said.
For extended stay in the department for any official assignment, the order says, the concerned “should seek a proper approval/permission” from the head of the department.
“No scholar or academician is on departmental premises after 4pm; I personally think that the department should not stay open as it will save department cash in terms of energy and I am doing this for making it accountable,” said Prof S. Mufeed, the head of the department, adding that “sometimes doors remained open endangering departmental property”.
“But if any student needs to avail himself of any facility he or she can notify the concerned person and ask for extension in closing hours of the department,” he clarified.
Not only students, even the faculty seems to have been taken aback.
“We have a history of producing future journalists to work with reputed media houses. Even during turmoil, we used work till late and impart training to our students but we fail to understand this order,” he said.
The order comes at a time when the university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Talat Ahmed, is emphatic about making all the departments vibrant in acadmeics and research.
Prof Ahmed said he believed such orders shouldn’t have been issued in the first place.
“I am currently away, so I do not have any information about it. However, I personally believe that no department cannot be closed at any point, it should be open 24 X 7 so that any student can access the facilities at any time,” he said, adding he would look into the matter.
Pertinently, MERC has come under a scanner recently for alleged financial irregularities and violation of rules.
(The author is correspondent, Kashmir Observer)
