The Hindu : OU caught in its own Web

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 14, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

OU caught in its own Web

By R. Ravikanth Reddy

HYDERABAD Dec. 13. Even as the controversy continues over the financial aspects of the maintenance of its previous website, Osmania University has launched a new website, which it claims to be the most exhaustive with total information fed into it.

However, there are several shortcomings in the website and the most aggrieved section is teachers of the university, who say that their contributions to academics have not been highlighted as is the general practice of prominent universities in India and abroad.

Out of the 900 and odd teachers on the campus and constituent colleges, the university could only feed the profiles of less than five teachers. "It's the teachers and their contributions which make the university and not a few individuals at the top,'' says a teacher of Science College, directing his anger at the administration.

``Loading the profiles of professors and teachers is absolutely necessary to give a healthy image to the university. The administration claims to promote the university abroad to attract foreign students. But foreigners don't come seeing the buildings of the university, but by the kind of teachers it possesses,'' says another lecturer from the Science College. The college boasts of highly qualified teachers, including Harvard scholars.

The newly launched website indeed has some glaring mistakes apart from not meeting the aspirations of the teachers. The site of College of Law still carries the names of previous Vice- Chancellor and Registrar, D.C. Reddy and Pannalal, respectively, as the administrative heads.

Regarding the profiles, the links of the website indicate that profiles of only five professors have been loaded. However, only two of them are actually available, while the message of "no page available" is flashed for others as you click them.

The link to the Faculty of Arts doesn't even opens, whereas links of departments like History, Political Science, Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology and Physical Education hardly contain any information, leave alone details of teachers. "They make tall claims of linking the site to e-Seva centres, while they can't even incorporate basic details of teachers,'' points out a lecturer from the Arts College.

Interestingly, the university has sought the resumes of all teachers several times, but failed to upload. However, the university PRO claims that they are on the job.

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