The Hindu : New Delhi News : Doing their job?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 10, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Doing their job?

In his Independence Day address to the nation Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a lofty plan to set up 30 Central universities and provide financial support to State governments to open 340 colleges in various districts so that each State has at least one Central university and each district at least one college. This seems to be in pursuance of the recommendations of the National Knowledge Commission headed by Sam Pitroda. The scheme is laudable. However, before setting up new colleges it is important to ascertain how many of the existing colleges and universities in the country are actually doing their job. In a large number of well-established colleges, particularly those in western Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, no regular classes are held. Teachers have a secure job and there is no motivation to teach. The standards of higher education in a majority of colleges and universities across the country are rapidly declining.

They do not maintain an appropriate standard of education. The quality of research work is highly disappointing. Ph.D. degrees are being dished out recklessly.

According to one estimate, not more than five per cent of the Ph.D. theses make any significant contribution to knowledge; the rest are bogus and meaningless. More than 50 per cent of these theses are not worth the paper they are written on.

The matter has assumed the proportions of an organised, large-scale scam. Vice-Chancellors hardly have the time or inclination to look at the report of the Ph.D. thesis examiner making critical observations. If one examiner rejects a thesis, another is appointed in his place to oblige the candidate and his supervisor by giving a favourable – read false -- report and thus clearing the candidate’s way to get a Ph.D. The examiner who gives a negative report is not assigned any work in future and is virtually blacklisted. Even his examination remuneration is withheld.

The matter calls for an urgent enquiry by a high-powered committee.

Prof. D. P. S. Verma,

(Former Professor of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University), QU-285-B, Chitrakoot, Pitampura, Delhi - 110 034.

A bitter dish

I have a DishTV connection — VC No. 01501319943. From June this year the connection started giving me trouble. The TV screen goes blank every time a channel is switched on. However, the TV works fine when plugged to a DVD/VCD player.

I registered a complaint with DishCare Ghaziabad, whose number was given to me by the DishTV office (Complaint No. G-11, dated July 1, 2007.)

A technician came, said the TV was bad and went. I complained again on July 12, No.G-233. On July 13, another technician came, adjusted the dish and display was restored. I paid Rs.150 as service charge. After one hour, the same problem recurred.

I complained again, and they said they would send another technician. After several days, a couple of technicians came, could not do anything and said the main Noida office would send a technician. Nothing happened for days.

I complained again on August 7, after paying fresh subscription charges (though I am not getting any service). No response. I complained to the main Noida office on August 7. A technician came and said the set top box would be repaired by the Noida office. Still no response.

I complained again to the Noida office (No.8191759)…. Every time I register a complaint, the response is “it will be set right in 24 hours”. But without any result. Meanwhile, a DishTV van came to our group housing complex to sell more connections. I complained to them also.

They came and checked. Someone called Vishal called later and assured me that the problem would be fixed within 48 hours. Four more days passed but nothing happened. Vishal and some other person from their office (over phone) tried to mislead me by saying “your subscription is over, that is why no signal is coming”.

I told them that I had renewed my subscription, despite getting no service. After some more phone calls, they admitted that my subscription was renewed. I again received a call from DishTV on August 24 asking me about the nature of my problem!

However, the problem is still unresolved.

The Noida office assured me that my subscription would be extended for this period of no service, without additional charge, and requested me to give them two days. Nothing happened again.

I told them that they are leaving me with no option but to approach the consumer court. Through this letter, I request TRAI or any other competent authority to look into such loot of public money by private DTH operators and ensure that I get my service for the subscription I have paid.

Soumya Dutta,

912 Regent, Supertech Estate, Vaishali Sector-9, NCR, Ghaziabad - 10.

BHU’s ways

I am a Banaras Hindu University student pursuing my M.Com.

I would like to draw attention to the harassment we students are subjected to by the university administration. Every student is compelled to write his/her name, class and other details on Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 currency notes for no reason.

If somebody resists that order, he/she is denied admission on that day or till the student comes back with Rs.100 notes.

This is sheer nuisance and disheartening because it is practised in Asia’s largest residential university. Prasant Kumar Panigrahi,

Room No. 97, Dr. I. N. Gurtu Hostel, Faculty of Commerce, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-5 (U.P).

Banking woes

I took a car loan of Rs.1 lakh from ICICI Bank on February 1, 2001. The loan particulars are Lan No. ADEL 4568. I paid the final EMI on December 1, 2001.

However, the bank has still not issued a “no dues” certificate, in spite of several requests, to enable me to get the hypothecation clause removed from my car registration certificate of the Transport Department.

The bank is supposed to forward this certificate on its own after the loan is repaid. There are several complaints against this bank for harassment of customers for non/delayed repayment of loans.

The same bank does not bother to issue the “no dues” certificate when the loan has been repaid in time!

Colonel (Retd) Virendra Sahai Verma,

Sector 29, Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

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