The Making of a Technological University

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The author would like to place on record the unconditional support received from the team RGPV of 1999 in raising the university of technology for the state of Madhya Pradesh from ground zero to a great esteem in the shortest possible time and that too with the constraints of almost zero fiscal and physical resources that were placed with us in the beginning while the journey began with such a great excitement and commitment. They all proved the point that a winning team acknowledges no roadblocks, and achieves success, not for the glory or recognition for self, but for their firm conviction that the pursuit of the noble aims and objectives cannot afford failure at any cost, no matter what the bottlenecks are. Dr PC Sharma, Shri KS Asthana, Late Col PM Das. Late Prof RK Mani, Prof CS Keshwani, Prof KS Sayan, Prof Manish Choube, Late Prof RD Agrawal, Prof RK Vashishta, Prof VS Machve, Prof VK Sethi, Dr Mukesh Pandey, Dr RS Nigam, Dr AK Singh, Shri SK Verma, Dr Samsheruddin, Dr Pankaj Jain, Late Shri RK Gehlot, Late Shri Jagvir Singh and Dr Dharmesh Shukla, Shri Raghuvir Dube and Gopal Lal all deserve a special mention for their caring and unconditional support without which it could not be possible to raise RGPV with such a great start.

My profound gratitude is also to the then Hon'ble Governor Dr Bhai Mahavir and to Dr Om Nagpal, former Member UPSC who spotted in me a founder Vice Chancellor of RGPV and reposed their faith for raising the university of technology in the heartland of India during such difficult times, as in 1999 when the state of MP was reeling under deep financial crisis. The astounding success with which RGPV was developed and excelled could not have been possible without the formidable support from the visionary officers of the Govt of Madhya Pradesh, such Shri AV Singh, IAS, Shri Raghav Chandra, IAS and Shri Parasuram, IAS, the then Principal Secretaries of Technical Education who whole heartedly supported me and appreciated the innovative initiatives that we implemented and great strides that we took in the making of the RGPV, a technical university of great esteem.

I am also grateful to Prof R Natarajan, former Chairman AICTE and former Director IIT Madras and my fellow Vice Chancellors Prof MS Sodha and Prof HV Tiwari both Vice Chancellors of Barkatullah University, Bhopal, and also to the Vice Chancellor of DAVV Indore, Dr Bharat Chapparwal who always encouraged and appreciated my efforts in implementation of my innovative academic initiatives and the culture of research and innovation that we germinated in our university UTDs and affiliated institutions.

I would be failing in my duty if I do not acknowledge the divine blessings of His Holiness Swami Ramakrishnananda, the Sankaracharya or Sri Vidhya Peetham and the Founder of VSRF, Swami Atmabholananda ji, Head of Swami Vivekananda Education Foundation, Bhopal and renowned yogi Swami Vedananda ji Saraswati of Patanjal Yogavart Vidisha are also gratefully acknowledged. Their divine blessings helped me to always remain excited about the human face of technology, the spiritual strength of science and the integration of science and spirituality in our university academic life.

My gratefulness is also to the Hon'ble Founder President of Amity Education Group Dr Ashok K Chauhan and Hon'ble Chancellor Dr Aseem Chauhan for their inspiring support and guidance in continuance of my journey on the Path to Excellence unabated at Amity University Haryana, Gurugram upon superannuation from DTU.

The idea of a university stems from its broad objective of cultivation of knowledge and its dissemination to all the seekers of truth and enlightenment. The education in our ancient Vedic tradition was an integral approach for the cultivation of Jnana and Vijnana, and was necessarily aimed at building people of conscience, character, and commitment to uphold the dignity and honour that a human life bestows upon individuals and the human society. The knowledge was considered to be the purest of the pure and a pious element of the being and was to be adorned with integrity and commitment by individuals to serve the vast humanity with sincerity and utmost humility. The Taxila and Nalanda are the two famous ancient India's university that the world knows about, but Vikramshila at Ujjaini in the Central India (later shifted to Bhagalpur in Bihar), the Viswamitra Ashram Gurukul in Tapovan, near Ayodhya, where Lord Rama and his brother Laxmana studied and masterminded the science and technology of the most lethal weapons like the Agniastras and Brahmastras under the expert guidance of Vedic Rajrishi Viswamitra, Vedic Rishi Bhardwaj Ashram and Gurukul at Chitrakoot in Central India were in great prominence for the most advanced science and technology some 7000 years ago. Likewise, the Sandeepni Ashram Gurukul at Ujjaini where Lord Krishna studied along with his childhood friend Sudama and the Dronacharya Ashram Gurukul at Gurugram in Haryana were the renowned centers of learning and scholarship in India during the Mahabharata times, some 5000 years ago.

Here, in these centers of advanced studies and research, the science and technology of the highest order, was an integral part of education that was imparted with strict compliance to self-discipline and a code of conduct which prevented misuse of science and technology for mass destruction and damage to environment and Mother Nature. Universal human values, ethics and professional morals were deeply embedded in education in ancient India that created a society tuned to noble objectives of human existence, to live a life of divine bliss, harmony, peace and happiness all around the globe. Such a education made India, its people and all those who got enlightenment from the temples of learning in ancient India to practice the noble Vedic concept of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, the world is one family thousands of years prior to the advent of globalization in the modern times.

In the modern age of higher education also, the science and technology education became an integral part of the universities around the globe for nurturing the great power of science and might of technology that fueled the growth of the modern civilization, intensified the unending quest for knowing the secrets of creation as also to use science and technology for constantly improving the quality of life of people. In fact, during the last two centuries, the science and technology became major drivers of growth and development of the economies of the nations, the world over and a means of empowerment of people with great capabilities to scale unscalable and even make impossible possible.

However, with the advancement of machines and tools of performing the work activity, the science and technology education became very much aligned to the needs of the industry and corporates, especially after the second World War that witnessed great devastating effect of the power of science and the might of technology. It also provided a great strength to the nations in respect of not only winning the war but also acquiring extraordinary capabilities to conquer the world on the strength of science and technology enabled machines and equipment.