Azis set to complete eventful stint at AMU

Updated on: Thursday, December 22, 2011

Despite serious threats to his life and many corruption allegations against him, Dr P.K. Abdul Azis is set to complete his journey as vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), after introducing a series of reforms and expanding the coffers and horizons of the varsity.

A native of Thodupuzha near Kochi, and a former vice-chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology, Dr Azis bids adieu to AMU on January 17, 2012 after fulfilling his dream of setting up an AMU campus at Malappuram. The campus is scheduled to be inaugurated by the union HRD minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, on December 24.

Dr Azis says the resistance began the moment he began to introduce reforms at the varsity and he had to face these till the present time, but he carried on with what he felt was right.

“Right from the first year following the death of a student, violence erupted on campus and my house was set on fire. I managed to escape because of the help of police,” said Mr Azis.

“A slew of corruption allegations were hurled at me and the former and the present HRD ministers and even president Pratibha Patil were petitioned. However I am confident that CBI and judicial investigations in this regard will prove my innocence.”

Dr Azis said after taking over as VC in 2007, he ensured that AMU results were published on time. “I could set the academic calendar in order. In fact, Ph.D. research numbers have gone up from 120-130 to 300.

Funded projects by DST, UGC and DBT have gone up from 50 in 2007 to 300 in 2011. From a .5 mbps connection, Internet speed has gone up to 1054 mbps today.

Classrooms are going digital and there is a world-class digital library now, which can be accessed by students from anywhere. While the outlay went up from `50 crore in 10th Plan to Rs183 crore in 11th Plan, we managed to generate grants to the tune of `550 crore over five years.”

The VC said in 10 years from now both Malap-puram and Murshidabad campuses could aspire
to become independent universities.

Azis set to complete eventful stint at AMU

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