Campuses ban mobiles, UGC wants selfies with ‘gurus’
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:17.07.2019
City colleges are in a dilemma over a circular from the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking them to encourage students to take selfies with their teachers on Guru Purnima on Tuesday. Most colleges have banned the use of cell phones on campuses.
Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had on Monday launched a campaign ‘#SelfiewithGuru’ inviting all to post their selfie with their teachers on social media on Tuesday. Rajnish Jain, secretary of UGC, has sent a circular asking students of universities and colleges to participate in the campaign and to share their selfies on social media.
“Following the circular from Madras University, we have banned the use of mobile phones inside the campus from last year. If any student is caught using mobile phones, they would be fined,” said Reverend Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College.
But, UGC has given a circular that would encourage the students to use mobile phones on campuses. Though the principal said the college will try to abide by UGC’s directions, taking selfies is contradicting existing rules.
Even women’s colleges also do not allow the students to use mobiles on campus. “Due to safety concerns, we allow the students to carry the phone. But, using it is prohibited,” said Lalitha Balakrishnan, principal of a college.
Many engineering colleges do not allow students to even carry their mobile phones. “We cannot encourage the students to take selfie with female faculty members as many would not feel comfortable. It is difficult to implement the rule,” a principal from a city engineering college said.
Anna University vicechancellor M K Surappa did not agree with UGC’s “dictum” on taking selfies. “The main job of universities and higher educational institutions is knowledge creation. Taking selfies is in no way an academic activity. Students and teachers should be kept out of these kind of activities,” he said.
Senior academician and former vice-chancellor of Anna University E Balagurusamy said taking selfies with gurus is not a good idea. “The UGC has many better things to do to improve the quality of higher education instead of advising students to take selfies with their gurus. Taking a selfie is not giving respect to the guru. There are many other ways to respect them. We normally take selfies with friends and family,” he said.
He further said the commission was an autonomous body and should not simply follow the MHRD’s instructions.
Union HRD minister had on Monday launched a campaign ‘#SelfiewithGuru’ inviting all to post their selfie with their teachers on social media
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:17.07.2019
City colleges are in a dilemma over a circular from the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking them to encourage students to take selfies with their teachers on Guru Purnima on Tuesday. Most colleges have banned the use of cell phones on campuses.
Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had on Monday launched a campaign ‘#SelfiewithGuru’ inviting all to post their selfie with their teachers on social media on Tuesday. Rajnish Jain, secretary of UGC, has sent a circular asking students of universities and colleges to participate in the campaign and to share their selfies on social media.
“Following the circular from Madras University, we have banned the use of mobile phones inside the campus from last year. If any student is caught using mobile phones, they would be fined,” said Reverend Thomas Amirtham, principal of Loyola College.
But, UGC has given a circular that would encourage the students to use mobile phones on campuses. Though the principal said the college will try to abide by UGC’s directions, taking selfies is contradicting existing rules.
Even women’s colleges also do not allow the students to use mobiles on campus. “Due to safety concerns, we allow the students to carry the phone. But, using it is prohibited,” said Lalitha Balakrishnan, principal of a college.
Many engineering colleges do not allow students to even carry their mobile phones. “We cannot encourage the students to take selfie with female faculty members as many would not feel comfortable. It is difficult to implement the rule,” a principal from a city engineering college said.
Anna University vicechancellor M K Surappa did not agree with UGC’s “dictum” on taking selfies. “The main job of universities and higher educational institutions is knowledge creation. Taking selfies is in no way an academic activity. Students and teachers should be kept out of these kind of activities,” he said.
Senior academician and former vice-chancellor of Anna University E Balagurusamy said taking selfies with gurus is not a good idea. “The UGC has many better things to do to improve the quality of higher education instead of advising students to take selfies with their gurus. Taking a selfie is not giving respect to the guru. There are many other ways to respect them. We normally take selfies with friends and family,” he said.
He further said the commission was an autonomous body and should not simply follow the MHRD’s instructions.
Union HRD minister had on Monday launched a campaign ‘#SelfiewithGuru’ inviting all to post their selfie with their teachers on social media
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