No lecture this sem, Parimal Sir is busy
As vice chancellor, Dr Parimal Trivedi used to send out circulars insisting on teachers not missing classes. As teacher at M G Science Institute he has avoided delivering lectures for 100 days
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, October 07, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2012100720121007022258732c89206af/No-lecture-this-sem-Parimal-Sir-is-busy.html)
It is almost 100 days since Dr Parimal Trivedi went back to M G Science Institute after his tenure as vice chancellor of Gujarat University ended. He has reported at work, signed the muster, spent a few minutes either in principal’s office or the staff room and called it a day. The burden of lectures does not bother the former vice chancellor who is now a lecturer at the institute.
As vice chancellor, Dr Trivedi used to send out circulars to departments and colleges affiliated to Gujarat University, asking the heads and principals to ensure classes were not missed. But now as a lecturer at the college he is avoiding teaching assignments, point out several M G Science staff members. Dr Trivedi insists he has got going with his academics and started with lectures, but says it will take him time to get into the groove.
“I am doing my work and getting on track slowly. I have been away from lectures for almost eight years. The syllabus has changed in the interim and I am preparing accordingly,” he said. However, his colleagues claim that Dr Trivedi has been consistently avoiding classes and his workload obviously falls on them. Some of them are ad hoc teachers and the college ends up paying for work that its full-time lecturer, Dr Trivedi, should have done. His principal and the head of the department seem to be accommodative, though. “Dr Trivedi has taken some books and also the time-table.
He needs time to prepare for lectures as he has not taught college students for some time. Besides, he has been on leave off and on. I am in touch with the department head on this issue and have been told that he (HoD) and other teachers are sharing his workload,” said Dr B K Jain, M G Science principal. “Students haven’t suffered a bit, let me assure you,” he added. Head of the department U V Shah, on his part, said: “He has not delivered lectures so far. He has been on frequent leave because, I assume, he has some personal issues to look into.
It is a new environment for him. Besides, it is a festive season and the college has observed a few holidays, too. I am sure he should be able to engage classes after Diwali vacation.” But by that time one full semester will be over, students point out. “Being taught by an i n e x p e r i e n c e d teacher and being taught by an experienced teacher like Dr Trivedi will make a difference to our learning and understanding of physics,” said a student on condition of anonymity.
“We wish he started teaching us at the earliest,” the second-year student added. Incidentally, when he was the vice chancellor, Dr Trivedi often boasted how despite being busy with running the state’s largest university he used to find time to go to his college every week to deliver lectures and stay in touch with academics and students. On several occasions, he cited this to chide teachers and other university staff members who would miss lectures or shirk administrative work.
However, by his own admission that “I have been away from lectures for eight years” he has contradicted himself. Dr Trivedi’s tenure as vice chancellor ended on June 26. He was first appointed provice chancellor of Gujarat University in 2005. He took over as vice chancellor in 2006 and served for two terms of three years each, the maximum allowed by University Grants Commission to a vice chancellor at a university.
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, October 07, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2012100720121007022258732c89206af/No-lecture-this-sem-Parimal-Sir-is-busy.html)
It is almost 100 days since Dr Parimal Trivedi went back to M G Science Institute after his tenure as vice chancellor of Gujarat University ended. He has reported at work, signed the muster, spent a few minutes either in principal’s office or the staff room and called it a day. The burden of lectures does not bother the former vice chancellor who is now a lecturer at the institute.
As vice chancellor, Dr Trivedi used to send out circulars to departments and colleges affiliated to Gujarat University, asking the heads and principals to ensure classes were not missed. But now as a lecturer at the college he is avoiding teaching assignments, point out several M G Science staff members. Dr Trivedi insists he has got going with his academics and started with lectures, but says it will take him time to get into the groove.
“I am doing my work and getting on track slowly. I have been away from lectures for almost eight years. The syllabus has changed in the interim and I am preparing accordingly,” he said. However, his colleagues claim that Dr Trivedi has been consistently avoiding classes and his workload obviously falls on them. Some of them are ad hoc teachers and the college ends up paying for work that its full-time lecturer, Dr Trivedi, should have done. His principal and the head of the department seem to be accommodative, though. “Dr Trivedi has taken some books and also the time-table.
He needs time to prepare for lectures as he has not taught college students for some time. Besides, he has been on leave off and on. I am in touch with the department head on this issue and have been told that he (HoD) and other teachers are sharing his workload,” said Dr B K Jain, M G Science principal. “Students haven’t suffered a bit, let me assure you,” he added. Head of the department U V Shah, on his part, said: “He has not delivered lectures so far. He has been on frequent leave because, I assume, he has some personal issues to look into.
It is a new environment for him. Besides, it is a festive season and the college has observed a few holidays, too. I am sure he should be able to engage classes after Diwali vacation.” But by that time one full semester will be over, students point out. “Being taught by an i n e x p e r i e n c e d teacher and being taught by an experienced teacher like Dr Trivedi will make a difference to our learning and understanding of physics,” said a student on condition of anonymity.
“We wish he started teaching us at the earliest,” the second-year student added. Incidentally, when he was the vice chancellor, Dr Trivedi often boasted how despite being busy with running the state’s largest university he used to find time to go to his college every week to deliver lectures and stay in touch with academics and students. On several occasions, he cited this to chide teachers and other university staff members who would miss lectures or shirk administrative work.
However, by his own admission that “I have been away from lectures for eight years” he has contradicted himself. Dr Trivedi’s tenure as vice chancellor ended on June 26. He was first appointed provice chancellor of Gujarat University in 2005. He took over as vice chancellor in 2006 and served for two terms of three years each, the maximum allowed by University Grants Commission to a vice chancellor at a university.
