Meet The DOSA
A prominent professor of the Chemical Engineering Department, Dr. B.N. Rai has more than 25 years of experience in teaching, research and educational administration and he has held quite a number of educational administrative posts including the President of IT Gymkhana 2008–09, Co-Coordinator of Students Cultural Activity Centre, BHU,2004, Manager of the BHU team in National Youth Festival amongst others. He took over as the Dean of Students’ Affairs on 1st December 2017, and moved quickly to set up systems for free-flowing interaction as he signalled his intent to listen. He looks upon to build a culture of openness and work together before setting the road ahead.
The Media Club decided to know his thoughts and plans for this challenging role and here we present an excerpt of the interview with the DoSA:
* So, first of all, the question being how has your experience been, as Dean of Student Affairs, in these few days?
Actually I have been in this kind of post earlier, I was the President of Gymkhana, IT BHU during 2008–2009. Most of the applications coming to me are related to the work of solving issues for various Clubs and Fests. Students in the campus don’t actually come up with sincere concerns which relate to DoSA. I meet some repetitive faces who come along with their problems as of now!
* What are your plans for the next few years in terms of increasing student participation in various activities etc.?
My heartiest desire is to increase and strengthen curricular, co-curricular activities (Sports being included in curricular, as in MIT and other prominent institutes), I have strong faith in my students and they also show the same faith in me. Students keep mailing me the problems and environment they face in hostels, my ultimate goal now is eradication of drug addiction and the idea of this thing being “cool”. Students are also encouraged to participate in inter-collegiate and inter-departmental competitions and fests of IIT. The faculty for many specialized courses is drawn from the other corresponding departments like Humanities and Social Sciences etc. for overall development of students. My first preference is always my academic work, and the responsibility as Dean and only after all this comes personal matters.
* There have been a few disruptions in the college in the past few months. How do you intend to ensure that potentially negative external disruptive elements do not negatively affect the university? (referring to the recent incident over a DJ night)
In my view, we are solely responsible for that thing. The Director wasn’t aware of it, he cancelled it at that very moment (i.e. before that incident), as he came to know about it. Regarding the issue with outsiders, we have got a handful of our students indulged with them and for the rest of our students, I just believe “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”
Anyways about the boundary(campus) issue, they are not at all dealt by me or any institute authority for your reference THE I.T. AMENDMENT ACT, 2012 states it all! We need to understand that things like water, electricity, road, security, hospitals and even place where Professors live is managed by BHU’s administrators.
* “If we put our heads together I think even with the present resources that we have we can do a lot more.” This is quoted in the minds of many people out here in the campus! Any comments?
Yes I agree on it, we have got an enormous scope for improvement. But in general, students relate the development of the institute with the buildings and flooring and not checking out the equipments in the lab. Yes, we are responsible for the entire infrastructure, the challenge is there even now.
* Any message you would like to give the students of the institute?
We should strive to reach to the top of our chosen field or profession. The government is spending huge funds to get the best of the faculty and facilities to the IITs to create people to lead the country and not just to serve. We have the potential. In my time we had more interactions with faculty. I think today maybe because of large numbers we are not having much of that. At every occasion possible, I try to have some form of engagement with students!
The office is open to the students, you can always come and talk to me. Most of the time when people talk of the Dean of Student Affairs, they think of problems and indiscipline, I wish to change that image. I feel that students have a lot of innovative ideas and energy, what they need is just support and a push. The students can do wonders if they are provided with little support.
And yes, for any support I encourage students to send their problems either via mails or meet me in person. Even if I have to wake up at 2 in the morning to solve some problem, I’ll surely be there for the students.
Thank You.
The Media Club congratulates Dr. B.N. Rai for his appointment and expresses gratitude to Dr. A.K. Mukherjee for his services as the previous Dean of Students’ Affairs.
