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Congress asked to help develop University

Special Correspondent

Minister sees nothing wrong in becoming Chancellor; claims 50 universities have such life-long post

Photo: Subir Roy

Azam Khan addressing a Press conference in Lucknow on Monday.

LUCKNOW: With the Uttar Pradesh Governor, T.V. Rajeswar, signing the Mohammad Ali Jauhar Private University Bill, the Chancellor-designate and Urban Development Minister Mohammed Azam Khan on Monday cautioned the Congress not to place hurdles in the making of the university. The private university, to be constructed in Mr. Khan's home town, Rampur, has been designed as a minority institution and would be the fourth private university in the State.

Without naming the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Salman Khurshid, who is reported to have stated that if the Congress returns to power in U.P. the university will be closed down and Mr. Khan stripped of his powers, the Minister said either the Congress cooperate in the venture or stop ranting over it. He said according to the university Bill, the Chairman of the Mohammed Ali Jauhar Trust will function as the life-long Chancellor of the university. (Mr. Azam Khan himself is the Chairman of the Trust).

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Khan said there was some misunderstanding which had caused the delay in the Governor appending his signature on the Bill, and added that had it not been for Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's initiative and support from the Samajwadi Party the university would not have seen the light of the day. The Minister said the Chief Minister had made a huge contribution to the minorities, but denied that the Jauhar University was a poll agenda of the ruling party.

Stating that earlier a State-owned university in Mohammed Ali Jauhar's name was proposed to be set up and a Bill on the same was passed by the Assembly in 2004, Mr. Khan said following Congress objections a private member's Bill was passed by the Assembly. He said the Government-owned university was known as Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University; in the private university the word Maulana has been dropped.

Mr. Khan said 50 universities in the country have life-long Chancellors. About the conditions placed by the Governor before he signed on the Bill, Mr. Khan said these conditions would be fulfilled soon. As for the first condition of minimum requirement of 50 acres of land for the university, he said the Trust owns 110 acres of land, which would be transferred to the university once the notification is made. As for the constructed area of 24,000 square metres, at present the constructed area measures 12,500 square metres, he said. Finally, as for deposition of Rs. 2 crore as endowment fees, the Minister said Rs 1 crore would be deposited in a few days with the rest being submitted later.

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Congress asked to help develop University

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