[Reader-list] Distant Campuses of AMU: Why Not in Bihar?

[arshad amanullah]

Distant Campuses of AMU: Why Not in Bihar?


The AMU is comprehensively debating the idea of having distant campuses in
different parts of India. While, the statutory restrictions/ambiguities
still remain to be clarified as to whether the AMU Act mandates us to go for
such exercise. Statutory restrictions (if any) apart, this particular idea
of the VC to have distant campuses is just extremely laudable.



[One fails to understand as to what has been the basis of identifying
particular regions/places to be chosen for establishing the distant campuses
of AMU].



However, if it does give us a mandate, we should consider the proposal that
Bihar deserves to have such campus for more reasons than one:



It has lesser number of institutions (government or private) than it
requires, which puts a lot of pressure on other institutions like AMU,
Aligarh. It may be added here that even relatively low quality schools in
Aligarh are getting large chunk of Bihari students.

Recent reports publicized by the government and other reliable agencies do
testify that the remittance economy from the West Asian Gulf countries have
created affordability to this section of population for modern education.
They therefore are needed to be provided with such facilities. Moreover,
according to experts, in Bihar, the reasons for relatively greater urge for
modern education among Muslims is because of the fact that the largest chunk
of the Muslims are grouped into the lists of Backward Castes (Annexure-2)
and Most/Extremely Backward Castes (Annexure-1), since 1978, which
facilitates the expanded opportunity of reservations in the government
employment.

Be it the reports of the Bihar State Minorities Commission/ADRI (2005) or
the Sachar Committee Report, it stands testified that education among
Muslims of Bihar is relatively low; therefore the state-funding should be
allocated more for such sections. If the Union Ministry of HRD is willing to
give the AMU Rs 1200 crores for the purpose, a proportionate amount of the
fund must be earmarked for West Bengal and Bihar, in that order. No other
region would deserve it more than these two provinces.

By way of suggestion, it may also be proposed that the long standing Insaan
School of Kishanganj, Bihar, may be requested to come forward in this
exercise of having distant campuses of AMU. This particular institution
[founded by Padam Shri, Syed Hasan], till 1980s, used to be a quality
institution which has produced great luminaries like talented doctors,
journalists and civil servants (some of them graduated from AMU itself). If
the negotiation with the Insaan School materializes, then one great
advantage with the AMU would be that it will not face the problem of
procuring land as the Insaan School possesses sufficient land. We need not
add that the 70% of the population of the district of Kishanganj comprises
of Muslims, with painfully low degree of literacy. Of late, this historic
institution has fallen into crises, it would therefore, be great if the
recent exercise of AMU could rescue the institution from such crises.

If this negotiation fails to materialize then only we should explore other
places in Bihar.



Greater preference should be given to opening Polytechnic (Diploma
Engineering) and Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) type of employment
oriented courses, besides the senior secondary schools (which would provide
the feeder students to such courses), if possible.


Mohammad Sajjad
Lecturer, History, AMU
sajjad.history at gmail.com