Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
Veterans' day out
The other day, senior citizens had a gala time first at the TLN Sabha Hall and later at the Waltair Club. They came from different backgrounds but they had one thing in common. They are all alumni of Andhra University, who had studied during the period 1955-60.
Some of the participants were former IAS and IPS officers, high-ranking officials at the State and National-levels. But they set aside their differences and mingled freely with each other like college students.
They took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing with their batch-mates the good old days in the university and the hostels. The veterans were all perturbed by the declining academic standards and the negligent attitude of both the teacher and the taught.
The former vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission, G. Ram Reddy, recalls "The commitment of students towards their course and the teachers devotion to duty of yesteryears has been replaced by the students apathy towards studies and the general tendency of teachers to make a fast buck outside while neglecting their duties." The quality of education has to improve and politicisation and outside influence on universities should go. He had a word of appreciation for the measures initiated by the present Vice-Chancellor, Y.C. Simhadri, like insisting on putting in the required attendance and vertical admissions. The students are studying at the expense of tax-payers and should behave more responsibly, he felt.
He appealed to the teachers not to spoil the academic atmosphere for money. "If money is your sole criterion, you better go out of the university and join other institutions".
Recalls N. Manga Devi, a student of the 1954-57 batch, who now runs an educational institute in Guntur, "There were only four women in our class at that time. We used to enter the class after our professor. We had great respect for our teachers and they had also helped us a lot in our career."
"There is a phenomenal change in AU compared to the past. It was like a vast forest with a few buildings. I used to sit and study under the cashew nut trees," recalls the former IAS officer, G. Venkanna.
The city itself was very small in those days. "When I came to join the university, I alighted the train at the station and took a rickshaw. But for the Railway Quarters and a few tea stalls at Dondaparthy, there were hardly any other buildings en route. We used to go to the movies at the theatres in Old Town and return to our hostels by bus at night. The last bus was at 9.30 p.m. and if we missed that we had to walk all the way to the university".
Says the retired deputy chief engineer, AVL Bhujanga Rao, "We (students) were all for the development of our country. There were practically no strikes by the students.
The former Rector, A. Prasanna Kumar, grew emotional when he said, "The university is responsible for what I am today. It fed me and my family while I was in service. It continues to feed me in the form of pension even today". He impressed on his peers to pay back something in return to their Alma mater by contributing to its growth and development.
The alumni meet was coordinated by Bommidala Krishna Murthy of the Bommidala International, Guntur.
B.M.G
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
|
