Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar is a reticent and soft-spoken academic. It took me a week to get a 15-minute appointment with him. In these few minutes, I decided to focus on issues that are important to JNU students and are crucial to the health of the university, and not issues that have kept that university in the media spotlight — read the row around “azaadi” chants and so on.

It is a tragedy that despite a degree from the best university in the country, many alumni continue to languish within the subsidised walls of the campus. Or, they just manage to cross the Baba Ganga Nath Marg and hole up in Munirka. For them the romance of JNU is a compulsion not an “addiction”.

Professor Kumar promises placements, convocation, medals and transport in this interview. It is up to the student community now to ensure that the administration delivers on these matters. JNU has attempted to make national headlines for long. It is time to fix the unglamorous footnotes. At stake is the ambition of some of the best minds.

Arunoday Majumder (AM): Mr Vice-chancellor, it is a quiet summer in JNU so far.

VC Jagadesh Kumar (JK): Do you want a noisy summer in the University? While JNU is doing very well academically, it is unfortunate that we are sometimes in the news for non-academic reasons as well. My colleagues, I and most students are interested in critical thinking and want to excel academically. Those who have other concerns can always raise them democratically and constitutionally. All of us welcome constructive debates and discussions with the aim to improve the system.

AM: There are several problems that students have to deal with at JNU. For instance, there are limited number of speed breakers and access to public transport, despite being a huge campus, which puts the visually impaired and school children at greater risk.

JK: You may not have noticed but we have just re-metalled roads and laid down speed-breakers. You are right that there is a need for more number of speed-breakers but work is not finished yet. So please be patient. We are also concerned about the visually impaired students. It is our priority to provide a safe campus for everyone including those you have just mentioned.

AM: But what about transport? Not everybody has the means to afford motorbikes to move around the campus.

JK: There is already a proposal to introduce public bicycles on campus so that students can use them. The plan to introduce e-rickshaws for others is also under progress. For both, the visitors and residents of JNU, the University will strive to make commuting within the campus comfortable and easy.

AM: The JNU placement cell is almost defunct. Why is that so?

JK: I agree that JNU should have a fully functional placement cell. As teachers, it is not only our responsibility to teach students but also help them get placed. I am talking to students and teachers about how placement can be made effective.

AM: That’s very good because a number of students want a fully functional placement cell. Not everybody wants to be in academia and JNU has an illustrious list of alumni in professions other than academics.

JK: This can certainly be looked into. JNU is a top ranker in national lists. Therefore organising placements for the meritorious anywhere is not a problem. I am confident that Science-based industries will be very interested in [hiring] our students. We should even be able to attract employers for students in Social Sciences and Humanities.

AM: You know there is a general feeling that Professor Kumar from IIT-Delhi is biased against Social Sciences and Humanities’ students of JNU.

JK: That is very untrue. Innovation and technology cannot be complete without an understanding of their social impact. Engineers and scientists should have a deeper understanding of Social Sciences. For example, the way our lives have been transformed because of information technology cannot be understood without an appreciation for Social Sciences.

AM: Why not paid internships with the government, research centres, think tanks and NGOs for the non-Science students to start with? Jobs are harder to get in this sector.

JK: The administration will be happy to help in whatever way possible. Many of our students already work as interns in these organisations. Anybody will be interested to compensate quality. JNU has an unparalleled language school where students, I am sure you know, already have lucrative part-time jobs in the fields of translation and tourism.

AM: The student community feels that there is no culture of recognition for academic achievements of students on this campus.

JK: When I came here I was surprised that there is no convocation. So we have planned to have convocations from this year onward and to award medals and certificates. A large number of schools and centres are keen about the convocation. We have also decided to recognise our alumni with “Distinguished Alumni Awards”.

AM: JNU is the pride of India and a seat of higher learning. What have you learnt here?

JK: See, it was always my belief that social change is never revolutionary. It is always evolutionary.

AM: You speak like a sociologist now.

JK: It is philosophy. One should not introduce sudden changes into the society. It upsets the order. One should prepare the ground before proceeding.

AM: But that is not what has happened in the case of seat justification.

JK: That is a UGC decision and is mandatory for all Universities in the country. The matter is in court. Let us wait for the court’s decision.

AM: Now that JNU has achieved top ranks in the national list, when will it break into world rankings like IISc has?

JK: See, that cannot be an agenda. We must focus on excellence. The rest will catch up. Also, JNU is a heterogeneous university. Our priorities are different. There are already a few centres here which can compete anywhere in the world. We need to create more such centres. But we don’t need to follow the West.

AM: Many thanks, Mr. Vice-chancellor.

JK: You are welcome.