The University is the third oldest academic institution of modern India. It’s celebrating 200 years of its existence this year.
Dear Classes of 2022 !
It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to Deccan College, as it is called in short for Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University). I welcome you all on behalf of all my colleagues and students, present and past, as well as the well-wishers of this great institution. I’m welcoming you as the 5th Vice-Chancellor, who followed an equal number of Directors (1939-1994), and a much larger number of Principals, since 1821. As you would know, the past faculty of Deccan College and the alumni are among many well-known personalities of the past, scholars and experts in the subjects taught here- Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Linguistics and Sanskrit studies- thinkers, social scientists, social reformers and leaders. The University has been known to have laid the foundations of Archaeology and modern Linguistics in India and has the biggest project on Sanskrit dictionary on historical principles. Many national and international scholars have been regular visitors here. The university houses institutions such as the American Institute of Indian Studies, Indian Council for Historical Research and Western Regional Language Centre (a wing of Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru).
Our special status as a government funded educational institution is its autonomy in the real sense, which allows us freedom to engage in academic and cultural activities. I invite you to celebrate our freedom by engaging in creative activities that are aimed not only at enriching our lives on the campus but also benefitting the society at large. One of the hallmarks of an autonomous and free university is open and continuous interaction among students and teachers. Every student has the right to ask questions and be answered by the concerned persons in the departments and offices.
But before we come to more on that, it is necessary to remember that you have reached here with the support of your family and friends. You must thank them and share your joys with them by inviting them to visit you. Those who couldn’t make it this year should not be disheartened. We wish them the best in their academic pursuits. They will be welcome to visit us and make use of the resources available here. Needless to say, they will be welcome to apply again next year either in the same programme or in some other that we launch soon.
While you immerse yourselves in your academic and cultural activities here, it would be good to know how you can contribute to the ongoing efforts in the college to make things better for all of us. Please note that 22nd August is remembered for many things, the most important being ‘Be an Angel’ in the U. S. What a great idea!
Our university has gone through a period of trough, with financial help having been withdrawn by the UGC. But the Deccan College Poona Trust has worked hard to support the functioning of the university. We need to have an intense fund-raising drive to support academic activities such as seminars and conferences, and field trips and running programmes for our Masters students. Would you like to join us on fund drives?
There have been some setbacks on a few occasions for us when our students have felt threatened by outsiders. With the support of the Pune Municipal Corporation and the PWD department we are working at ensuring complete safety for each student and faculty. We hope that we soon have a campus in which you can move about, day/ night in groups or alone to enjoy your freedom.
We would like to inform you that we would like to support needy students with frees studentships and scholarships. We already have some, but it will be our policy and effort to have more of them this year. You will be informed about them right at the beginning of the new semester.
Lastly, the world at large has been faced with environmental issues arising out of climate change and global warming. The issues of environment today are far more and larger than envisaged in 1949 when it was first taken up by the U. N. In these dangerous situations, we are being pushed to greater dangers by warring nations. What should be our concern here? We saw how we could address ourselves to the problem of a pandemic such as Covid-19. It is necessary to turn our attention to these issues in order to relate our studies to the solution of global problems. This year, hopefully this semester, we propose to have a NSS unit on the campus. We also hope to provide brighten up the gymnasium by providing new gym equipment for you. The faculty and the students, especially those staying in the hostels, men’s and women’s, have been participating in the ‘Clean the Campus’ drive for a few weeks. We hope that you will join them and carry out successful drives, in collaboration with other organizations such as Adaar Poonawala, the the Nehru Youth Forum, the NSS and others.
Pune has been known to be not only the centre of education, but also a cultural centre. Those of you, who have a penchant for music, theatre and the arts are encouraged to come up to organize events on the campus, not only with a view to enlivening the life on the campus, but also to express your creativity.
The basic question before us is, how can our knowledge of our rich tradition and the present help us find solutions to future problems and show the directions for all-round development?
I’m very hopeful that you will have a fruitful life in the university, a life of give and take, with clear goals and certitude of movement ahead. My best wishes to each and all of you.
Deccan College Post Graduate & Research Institute Deemed to be University, Pune
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