Convocation over innovation

Gujarat tech varsity has in the past expressed its inability to sponsor students’ innovation and research for lack of funds; yet this did not stop it from running up a bill of Rs 25 lakh on its first convocation, RTI info reveals

Yogesh.Avasthi

Posted On Monday, March 12, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2012031220120312010859731e3a69548/Convocation-over-innovation.html

Gujarat Technological University’s (GTU) first convocation this year was a grand affair. However, it was also an expenditure fest on part of the university where several lakhs were spent. According to sources, instead of splurging on a convocation, the university could have used the fund to support the innovations and researches done by its students. A right to information (RTI) application made by this Mirror correspondent has revealed that GTU spent a whopping Rs 25 lakh on the ceremony which was attended by just about 400 guests and students.

While Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal claimed that his officials told him that GTU spent less amount on convocation compared to other universities, cross-checking with Gujarat University Vice Chancellor revealed that GU runs up a bill of just about Rs 1 lakh, despite having much higher number of students. “Our convocations cost at the most comes to around Rs 1 lakh. We award gold medals to around 280 students. Yet, the expense has never been as high as you tell me,” Dr Trivedi said.

Manish Doshi, executive member of Gujarat University said, “There are better ways of utilising money. GTU always complains that there is not enough money to fund students’ research. They could have used this money to fund the innovations by their students. This would have encouraged the students to participate more enthusiastically in research work. Such a huge sum on a convocation ceremony is a total waste.”

Terming the January 19 convocation a ‘grand scam’, Doshi said, “Spending Rs 25 lakh on convocation is unbelievable. There is huge corruption behind this. There should be a detailed enquiry by Vigilance Commission and those guilty should be brought to book.
According to information procured under RTI, the university spent Rs 4 lakh on photography and videography alone. “Even if the university had made payments at a price higher than the prevalent market price, they would have had to order more than 50,000 photographs to run up such a bill. Also, photography and videography is cheap, thanks to digitisation. The video, on which such a huge amount was spent, was badly edited,” a GTU source said.
Mirror spoke to a photographer, Prashant Dholakia, who clicks pictures at GU’s convocation. “At the most, photography and videography charges come to around Rs 15,000. During the last convocation for GU, the photography bill came to around Rs 3,000,” he said.
The convocation extravaganza has met with censure from all quarters. Earlier in January, state technical education department had expressed its displeasure with GTU’s expenditure over the convocation ceremony. The university spent Rs 9.6 lakh for putting up the stage and its decoration, another Rs 2.05 lakh on refreshments and dinner where, according to sources, enthusiastic GTU officials had ordered 3,000 dishes for a few dozen guests.

Doshi added, “GTU could have used Gujarat University Senate Hall where the rent, including that of the sound system, comes to around Rs 10,000. They could have used Ahmedabad Management Association hall where the rent is Rs 15,000. If they wanted a grand function they could have gone to Gujarat University convention hall where the rent is Rs 5 lakh. Even this would have saved them a lot of money. Also, the expense on dinner was unnecessary.”

Accepting that unnecessary expenses were made, a convocation committee member said, “The money could have been managed better. However, GTU authorities wanted the first convocation to be on such a grand scale that they were not ready to cut costs. They approved all expenses and didn’t listen to the committee’s suggestion. In fact, the invitation cards, each costing Rs 80 to 100 were sent more than once to all guests.”

Money was freely spent on printing of invitations and certificates. The university paid Rs 1.47 lakh to the printers. Gold medals for the 60 students cost Rs 1.93 lakh while convocation robes cost Rs 3.64 lakh.

Prof Aggarwal said, “As per my knowledge the committee had arranged the whole function by putting out tenders and inviting quotations. The payment for photography and videography has been made as per the rate approved by the state government.”

GTU had carried out inspection of 495 colleges and polytechnics offering professional courses in July-September, 2011. Officials were to issue appropriate notices to these colleges on the deficiencies found. However, the notices lay in the GTU office for four months and were delivered on January 31 after Mirror reported the delay issue.

In reply to an RTI query, the university accepted that it had spent Rs 12.56 lakh on the inspection.

The university said that as the officials were busy in examination-related work, they could not verify the notices before they could be despatched and hence the delay. No action was initiated against coordinator U V Nanavati.

Curiously, the university’s teams arrived on the campus for another round of inspection around the time the notices reached the colleges. The university will spend Rs 15 lakh again, sources said.

While GTU would end up spending Rs 30 lakh on these inspections, students would continue to suffer due to lack of infrastructure.