FIRST UNIVERSITY IN NAME OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU IN INDIA

19th January,2020

Our Hindi News Paper, Published from Jabalpur, Dainik Bhaskar , is quite interesting and provide good reading contents; on every Sunday it publishes RASS-RANG where many good authors contribute many good articles.

These days Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi attracted international attention for opposing CAA and NRC though its student president Ms Iishi Ghosh candidly accepted the main mote of the agitation is KASHMIR or to de- stabilize the present government. The general public has not forgotten slogans from JNU about " Bharat tere tukde honge- insha allah, insha allah". It appears that all this work is by ART students as we have learnt that science students and faculty of JNU is quite good and engaged in good research work.

Perhaps due to the popularity of JNU our news paper in Rass Rang has published an article "KAHANI JNU KI" contributed byDrs Pushpesh Pant  and Jagdeeswar chaturvedi- both have been alumni of JNU.  There are many inputs in the article and we wish to discuss a few of them , here.

It is mentioned in the article  that Raj Thapaar and her husband Romesh Thappar in 1969-70 were planning to immortalize the memory of jawaharlal Nehru and discussed the matter with smt Indira Gandhi who became Prime Minister of India,later.

Accordingly Jawaharlal Nehru University was established  in 1019 acre in South Delhi on 22nd April,1969 with its first vice chancellor Dr  G Parthsarthy.

It is a matter of concern that the article has claimed it as first university in India in name of Jawaharlal Nehru. Its more intriguing that name of smt Indira Gandhi is linked with the University.

If we go in the history, the  first university in name of jawaharlal Nehru is that of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya which was established on 2nd October 1964 at Jabalpur.  .The most interesting matter is that this university was inaugurated by Smt Indira Gandhi on 2nd October,1963 in the hall of the then Agriculture College, Adhartal, Jabalpur.( at that time , she was Minister of information and broad casting).

So it is not correct that first univ in name of JNehru was JNU. Really it was JNKVV at Jabalpur   

But if we see all the history of JNKVV, it  has not been so famous as JNU. There are many reasons for this and requires deep investigation. However, it may be said that unlike to Pantanagar, all the Agriculture colleges of the state (six ) and veterinary colleges (2),working at that time in the state, were amalgamated in the university as their constituent colleges  .While all colleges were having state Professor post which was also Head of the department, these posts of state professor were reduced to  Associate Professor with abolition of Professor and HOD from all the  colleges; only one post of University Professor and Head of the Department was created at Jabalpur , thereby jeopardizing all the good work these colleges were carrying. Moreover, there was acute financial crisis in the university affecting teaching research and extension of the university. 

Another claim in the article is that semester system and internal examination with answer copy exhibition was first in JNU. 

This statement is also not correct as the semester or trimester system of education with internal evaluation was brought  first time in Agriculture universities from American university of land grand pattern system. I still remember that internal examination with answer copy exhibition was started since 1965 in JNKVV- a time when JNU has not come in operation.

other claims like no timing for answers, no requirement of attendance etc  was only followed in JNU. The authors have claimed that such acts have made students disciplined though we are having reservations over such observations. They are blaming Emergency as the reason for indiscipline of JNU students, but Emergency has been experienced by all the students of other universities ,also. There is a mention that one history examiner has asked students to reply five questions with the remark " agar ye na ban sake ,to apne man se kinhi panch savalo ke answer likh dijiye" This is a unique culture of JNU and we have not heard it from any other univ.

As JNU is a central university with large funds and many collaborations, there is a mention about a book " JNU KA SACH" written by Dr Shankar Sharan who is Professor in NCERT also. But JNKVV is not so fortunate though one of its teacher Dr Mahesh Chandra Agrawal has written about Agriculture research and education in India with special reference to JNKVV with  title of the book  'YE HAI HAMARE KRISHI VISHWA VIDYALAYA". This book is available on AMAZONE INDIA and interested persons may read this book to know more about Agriculture research in India.