When Assam University was created, there were great expectations
from it. Ever since its establishment about two decades ago, a lot of monitory
assistance has come to the university. Barak valley had, in fact, never seen
such massive central government investment in the past.
Now, due to the centre’s munificence, the six hundred acre land on
which the Silchar campus is located, some eighteen kilometres away from the
town, has undergone tremendous transformation. It must be said that from being
an extremely backward, inaccessible area, this stretch of land is now having
buildings all around and bustles with activity all through the year.
The university now caters to the needs of the local people who had
previously faced great difficulties in prosecuting studies outside the valley.
This difficulty is now over. But a university is not all about its buildings
and personnel. If this was the criteria, then this university within its
eighteen years has indeed achieved a lot.
After some time, the people who are the best judges will question,
what is its academic standard and how the outsiders rank it among the august
institutions of its like in the country. This is an obvious question which
requires a close self analysis. Out of all analyses, self analysis is the most
difficult and in it, lot of introspection is necessary.
There is no dearth of money as the centre doles out regular funds to
the university. We find that more than three hundred teachers are engaged who
work in nearly forty departments. They are recruited at different times though media
advertisements. However, unfortunately, sometimes we also hear about unworthy
appointments of some, who are allegedly close to the main seats of power in the
institution.
A university must make it a cardinal principle that only the best
candidates will find entry into its faculty for whom we can be proud of. If this
does not happen, the institution is bound to suffer. We may quote the adage
that think globally but act locally. This university is primarily meant for the
people of the valley but the tenor of any educational instruction is universal
and it is wide open for all of us.
It is mind boggling to know the width of information available at
present. Anybody can get the taste of it if his mind is open to receive it. Knowingly
or unknowingly, we must not fail to update ourselves technologically as knowledge
is now technology savvy and the university must be equipped to provide the
necessary infrastructure as well as the requisite opportunities to the
students, research scholars as well as teachers.
Again, the university is not all about knowledge gathering at the
highest level. We must have the proper environment. The university requires
green all around it. We may envision a park nicely laid out with the assistance
of the social forestry department. A good environment is a prerequisite for a
good academic atmosphere. The university may then stand as a visible contrast
to the disheveled condition of the town nearby.
The condition of the road which connects town with the campus must
always be given priority as a problem. The student community on whom we have enough
faith require to offer as much attention they could to this important road
which has hardly shown any improvement during last eighteen years since the
establishment of the university. The number of vehicles running on the road is
on the rise but the road continues to be in bad shape.
The well-known Chatla Haor, a great body of water during the monsoon
is a pleasant sight. It is a great water body and needs to be protected with
care. The community of teachers and students of this university require to have
more commitment towards their institution much beyond their association with
the award of the degrees. They must be associated with the proper development
of the surroundings of the university.
We expect this university to rise above the stereotyped level. We
want this great institution to achieve greater heights.
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