Mangalore: Former VC Vivek Rai to Spill the Beans on Varsity Politics

Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje

MANGALORE, Oct 15 (TNN): Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) former vice-chancellor B A Vivek Rai has expressed his desire to pen a book on his experiences as the V-C of two universities.

Speaking after receiving a felicitation accorded by Dasajana literary forum at a function held at Canara College here on Wednesday, Rai said very few are aware of the goings-on in a university.

"Universities are like newsrooms. But 90% of the happenings inside a university do not come to the notice of the outside world. I wish to pen a book on my experiences as the V-C of Kannada University, Hampi and KSOU for five years. No one perhaps has written such a book yet," he said.

The V-Cs may have noble intentions and plans for the growth of universities. But it is not possible to implement them. You hate a person, the best punishment would be to appoint him as the V-C of any university," he remarked.

Rai observed that academicians and V-Cs do not get to do justice to their job, especially with politicians who interfere in the affairs of the varsities. "But from my experience, I can tell you, that you need not bow before any politician. They can do nothing if we maintain our status as the head of an academic institute," he said.

Mangalore University V-C K M Kaveriappa, registrar K Chinnappa Gowda, writers Amritha Someshwara and Yerya Lakshminarayana Alva spoke of their acquaintance with Rai and his contributions as an academician and folklore expert on the occasion.