The Nagpur Universityas academic standards are dropping to alarming levels while students are deserting the institution in increasing numbers. This time, senate member Vasantkumar Chute, an advocate, asked a question about a Bachelor of Journalism (BJ)a course in NU to be discussed in October 15 meeting. He however spelt it as Bachelor of Generalism instead of journalism and changed the nomenclature to (BG), sources said, citing NUas senate questions agenda.
Ironically, Chute, instead of accepting his mistake and tendering apology, justified it stating that he was suffering from typhoid and therefore should not be blamed. Sources lamented how academicians like Chute, who won the senate polls from post-graduate constituency, can commit such mistakes. Sources added that Chuteas mistake could be pardoned considering the possibility of typographical error. But NU authorities, which check questions many times for authenticity and also provide answers, too touched the height of lethargy. In its answer to Chuteas query, NU replied that no course by the name of a?Bachelor of Generalism (BG)a exists and therefore the question canat be answered.
Sources said anyone could identify the question that Chute wanted to know about BJ course. Even mediapersons at the first glance identified the mistake. However, NU authorities, without correcting the mistake, skipped the query. This is yet another example of how the standard of academicians ruling the NU is falling. TOI had in a series of reports exposed how former commerce dean Dilip Vairagade, who was also a management council member, was stripped of his senate membership for using unfair means during MA examination at Morris College. Then, Dhanwate National College (DNC) lecturer Pradip Hadke was caught allegedly casting a bogus vote during senate polls.