Past,Present,FutureTransformation of the University:

By Skand Shukla

When some people initiated the move in 1869 to establish a college in Allahabad to provide a ‘better means of education’, little could they have imagined that this move would result, in times to come, in an imposing institution in its own right. Their efforts led to the founding of the Central College, which eventually developed into a University and has been

contributing in the development of our nation ever since. Its cosmopolitan spirit attracted scholars from all over to transform them by its alchemy. The great names related to it are far many to be recounted. Every great name was an addition to its halo to inspire the coming generations. This halo has been its greatest asset.

Drawn by its glory our generation entered its portals in the last year of the 80s. We had classmates from the whole of U.P., Bihar and even Bengal. Parochialism was creeping in but still a bit distant.

The University’s ambience was seeing a gradual change post 80s which speeded up in the 90s. Our generation witnessed it firsthand. That change can be so well expressed in Wordsworth’s lines (written in a different context of course) – ‘Whither is fled the visionary gleam?/ Where is it now, the glory and the dream?’There were so many reasons for the dimming of its aura. The foremost being the massive transformation in the socio-political-economic scenario in the country in the 90s. The University’s ambience was directly affected by it as any university is ultimately a microcosm of the world it exists in. This period also saw the rise in demand for technological education and a lessening of attraction for the humanities. It was also the period of setting up of many deemed universities catering to professional courses and a mushrooming of private degree colleges in mofussil towns. The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the later years of 2000 made possible the entry of children from that section of society in the education stream that was invisible hitherto.

Obviously the impact of SSA couldn’t have been limited to the elementary education and it has had multiple effects on the secondary and higher education.

With the passage of time Allahabad University seems to have picked up the gauntlet now and has geared itself up to face the challenges of the times. The recent recruitment of teachers has helped the various departments to stand up on their feet now. The physical infrastructure too has got a makeover and strengthening in keeping with the stature of the university.Now that both the human and physical infrastructures are in place in the university, it’s time that it begins its journey to attain its old position in the community of universities.

Universities ‘are places where ideas are exchanged and rival social forces, ideologies and viewpoints converse in a peaceful atmosphere. The debates and liberal inquiry result in the emergence of newer truths.’ (Yash Pal Committee report 2009). For this the Allahabad University has to regain that cosmopolitan nature of yore. The university ought to have a dynamic curricula to keep abreast of the times, world class facilities like 24 hours library, all-gender friendly environment, eco-friendly energy sources like solar panels all over, tutorial system, freewi-fi in the campus and hostels, state of the art cultural centres, university’s own publication centre like Oxford or Cambridge,university-industry

collaboration both in research work and job creation, and since the medical and engineering college have now severed from it, it can have a tie up with them for mutual benefits.

Besides all the good paraphernalia, a university truly becomes great by virtue of its atmosphere that can inspire. It is hoped that the Allahabad University attains that stature very soon.

Dr Skand Shukla(PES)

M.A English Literature (1994 Batch), D.Phil (2014)

Presently- Principal ELTI, U.P., Prayagraj