UGC’s sinister for publication of text books requires urgent inquiry.
Muhammad Shamim Akhter, 04 October, 2011:
University Grants' Commission is the highest statutory body of the Government of Bangladesh which is responsible to the promotion, coordination, examination and maintenance of the standard of university-education in accordance with the framework prescribed by law. Apart from this, it evaluates to the fund requires for maintaining the public universities in addition to the delivery of indispensable suggestions to the Government in part of facilitation to be taken rightly on various issues of higher education.
As far as private universities concerned, though it does not arrange fund or grants which it provides to the private universities, it is, however, authorized merely to supervise, monitor and regulate to their activities. Thus, UGC may be briefly called the coordinating body between the Government and the universities. In fact, UGC exercises the power which may be freely exercisable, asserted in the preface of ‘Handbook of University Grants' Commission in 2009': “Within the framework of the national policy, the UGC is free to deal with the promotion and development of higher education and research in all fields.”
In order to emphasize on the point intended to focus this time, whether it is liable to publish relevant text books and other related academic works for the students and academicians related to higher studies. From legal point of view, the role of UGC in this regard has confirmed. Hence to raise a question regarding its jurisdiction whether it is concerned to publish books for higher studies is very relevant and there should be no room to be disagreed with it.
The fund provided for the research works by any names it is donated: Thesis or Research Work should be carried on by the teachers and students of the universities and those must be coordinated by the UGC.
It is worthy mentionable that since its inception the national resources of Bangladesh have been utilized by UGC to this head. Though the funds for these purposes may contribute to the relevant purposes of the students, teachers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers of the country, however, I was quite frustrated while I was talking with the concerned officers of UGC as those were indifferent to that and seemed that it did a little importance.
The librarian of UGC Library informed me that a copy of the work funded by UGC is reserved manually (print copy) in the UGC library which is located at the 1st floor of UGC compound at Agargaon. It was very frustrating that old research woks of 10 years back are very problematic to trace out. There is no arrangement so that those may be shared through electronics process.
Though a copy is reserved in the library, against the question why those works are not arranged to be published either by book, digital format or online so that the academicians of various locations may get, Dr. Md. Lutfe Alam, the Director of UGC of publication said, “UGC is not a binding factory which is liable to publish book. The researchers may publish, if wish, by the collaboration with any private publishers.”
While I was talking with at his office in the UGC office, he said that the presence of readers in the library were very frustrating. Whether any policy has so far been taken to publish those works in the internet, he further said, “No. Only 3 persons are carrying out jobs of 500 projects. It is required to make them thank for carrying out such a colossal work.” In reply to another question whether man power may be increased to the smart service of the UGC has been bypassed by Mr. Alam.
Whereas the yearly-report of UGC corroborates that a project of digitizing the books obtainable through internet and which are shared by the students, teachers and intellectuals staying remote universities, seemed to be quite unknown to the officers. The fate of the project was hard to know when I was talking with them.
I was really frustrated to the sinister of the director as he felt no necessity to take any drastic action since those projects were very much relevant to the cause of higher education o f Bangladesh .
Apart from theses and research works, the situation of the project of publication of Text Books for higher studies seemed going on very quietly and its motion was like the tortoises or snails. I found only thirty books were obtainable and rest of the books were supplied after few days later rather than instantaneously. Mr. Liakat, the Section Officer of UGC, supplies the books by photocopying and stitching. The books are not published and supplied to different books shops of the country and for this reason, alien photocopied text books are to be read by the students from New Market, Nilkhet and Banglabazar publishers.
The UGC is also liable to find out the reason why the students of the higher studies do not read the text books. The trend is to copy the books and notes of previous batches with the photocopy machine which in fact is a violation of the Copyright Act. Even photocopy culture kills the spirit of the students. While the students are dependent on notes, the intellectual powers of the students go downward.
The spoiled corrupt university teachers, who are poorly present in the universities, are involved in nourishing such suicidal options. Sources added that student's leaders as well as Teachers' leaders of various public universities do a little attention to stop photocopying. As far as private universities concerned, the authority of the universities is inclined to the easy-going tendency of the students. Since the students pay a huge amount of money; the authority of the private university always tries to appease them instead of pushing extra to be guided through disciplined ways, require to the higher studies.
Photocopying is a key obstacle for turning towards the library and to the sale of books of a writer who pays his/her intellect as well as resources. UGC must not bypass this scenario happening around the campus of universities. Though it is bit developed in private universities at Uttara, it seemed no basic differences between Nilkhet near Dhaka University and Uttara. The scenario of others universities are almost same. Although the text books of different faculties including Engineering, Medical, and Commerce have huge demand, those are photocopied by the book-businessmen of Nilkhet in front of the authority. For lack of manpower and activeness, the task of monitoring and implementing of law, could be carried out with the suggestion of UGC and with the joined effort of other ministries like Ministry of Home Affairs, no fruitful step has yet to take.
The offences of photocopiers and other production house of Nilkhet under New Market Police Station so mentioned earlier should be checked for development of Higher Education in Bangladesh . UGC as well as other responsible bodies like Copyright Office under Ministry of Cultural Affairs may drive joint operation regularly.Publishing text books in Bengali is a year-long declaration which the Present Government is equally liable to comply with. Exclusion of photocopy and note culture must open the prospect to get on the right track. It should keep in mind that Higher Educationists are sponsored by the revenues of the citizens of the state and they are not the usual citizens who might get an opportunity to deceive the nation.
During the reign of this new Government, while I am assessing on this particular issue, UGC is seemingly fail to tackle and lend guidance to the students for the purpose of making habit of reading text books which though an indispensable part for the higher education in Bangladesh, is less stressed by it. In spite of having jurisdiction conferred section 5(2) of The Universities Grants Commission of Bangladesh Order, 1973, UGC may ‘.. assess the needs and requirements.” which may verily suitable at this time for the publication of text books for the Higher Education, besides that 6-points at the last page of Publications List -2011 of UGC stress on a institutional development of UGC which may publish and sell books on behalf of the Higher Students. The 6th point declares that UGC shall appoint to dealers by publishing advertisement in the newspaper in order to sell and market books of UGC by paying 35% of commission. This shall make benefit to the students as well as the book sellers. Furthermore, it may generate employment in various fields. The second point has highlighted to the fact, in particular that UGC shall request to various universities, ministries, private and public bodies in buying at least ten copies of books which further corroborates its obligation to role as a BOOKSELLER. The overall polices of UGC have demonstrated its solidity to the nature of selling books to the quarters related to higher education and to that part, UGC participates to Ekushey Book Fair every year, where the claim of Dr. Lutfe Alam that UGC was not a ‘stitching ( book stitching) organization' becomes discharged and therefore not tenable. The fact about only three persons' involvement for 500 (five hundred) projects should no longer be appreciated, rather they are liable to be blamed when section 7 of The Universities Grants Commission of Bangladesh Order, 1973 has prescribed to recruit more manpower, is in real world, no statutory approaches have yet to take.
The clumsy statement of Dr. Lutme Alam, the Director of UGC, should not be produced unless the Apex officials of the Government somehow press on to bring about. To make Bangladesh , developed, self reliant, a perfect generation having adequate knowledge to compete with is expectable. Any inadequacy on part of UGC for the regular steps to be published books on Higher Education whether by its own management or public-private enterprise other than flop, the demand may eventually be produced to take a thorough overhaul by the Ministry of Education. Unless doing so, the onus shall therefore lie upon the superior rather than subordinate.
