HYDERABAD: Is Osmania University vice chancellor Prof S Ramachandram being made a scapegoat in the issue of 105th Indian Science Congress (ISC) getting postponed? Was there skepticism from ISCA as well regarding conduction of ISC in OU?The postponing of the 105th ISC to be conducted in OU from January 3-7, 2018 comes as an unprecedented move as none of the earlier 104 ISCs conducted including the five ISCs conducted in OU, were ever postponed.
The ISCA, for the step, has blamed an email sent by the OU VC saying that the varsity will be unable to conduct the ISC due to ‘certain issues’. When the VC was asked by Express as to how can the entire event, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister, be postponed based on a mail raising ‘certain issues’ by VC S Ramachandram, said, “They want some reason. If a VC raises an issue, will the entire event to be attended by the PM be cancelled? The postponement of ISC is very painful for us. We have put in a lot of hard work and wanted to conduct it in a grand way keeping in mind the centenary year of university.”
I had to break the ‘deadlock’: OU VC
Prof Ramachandram also said that there was a “deadlock” which had to be resolved and he decided to take the first step. When asked why he sent the mail to ISCA, he said, “Deadlock situation occurred and I had to break it. Some end should be there to it. Decisions had to be taken.” He said that there was a security perception regarding ISC being conducted in OU which the university could see but not the ISCA and he had to take the decision of sending the mail. “These things are not under our purview,” he added.
Speaking to Express, the OU Vice Chancellor said, “Till yesterday (Wednesday) night, various preparation works were going on for the Indian Science Congress. “We are very confident of being able to host the sessions and that too in a grand way.” Meanwhile, OU Teachers Association, in its statement on Thursday, condemned Prof Ramachandram for sending the mail to ISCA as a ‘unilateral decision’ taken without anyone’s consent.
However, speaking to Express, President of OUTA, Prof B Satyanarayana, alleged that the VC acted under pressure from the State, an allegation also made by some student organisations.
In its statement, OUTA said, “About 20 committees consisting of faculty members of OU have been working relentlessly and many committees have completed the major part of the assigned task. The inability expressed by the VC to host the ISC has rendered the efforts useless.”