The postgraduates have to do some research of sorts and write a dissertation on it in order to be able to appear for the university examination and pass it. That is a part of the MS or MD course. Usually it is 1-2 years after joining the three year course, before they get their research proposal to the institutional ethics committee, and the time for submission to the university is usually 6 months before the final exam. So they work on the research for 6 months, sometimes one year. One wonders how anyone can do any serious research in this short period. Luckily the university does not wonder about it. But the university is quite particular that the requirements are met as per standards in the best of universities in the world - at least on paper.
The university decided that they should be trained in research methodology before they do any research. The courses run by the university are few and can take only a few students at a time. So it would take months to years to train all students. The colleges were not allowed to conduct courses on their own. Thus the students were ready to appear for their final examinations, their dissertations having reached the university six months earlier, but none had been trained in research methodology. Then one day they sent out a circular that the students should get trained right away or they would not be allowed to appear for their exams. We conducted courses for them on war footing. Their course completion certificates were sent to the university. All was apparently well, until there was another order from the university asking each student to submit a letter to the university that he/she had not undergone the training, and that he/she understood that if he/she did not get trained by the time of the result, his/her result would be withheld.
"Why does the university do such a thing?" a staff member asked. "It is so stressful for the students."
"Can the university not see the certificates it has received?" asked another.
"It is a dumb thing to do" said another.
"It was dumb to ask them to get trained in research methodologies after they had finished their research. It is dumber to make them say they have not got trained when they have submitted their certificates along with their exam forms."
"The college clerk says the letters must be sent" piped in another person, "or hall tickets will not be given."
Finally I drew the Boss' attention to this chaos, though the postgraduates in Boss' department should have done so much earlier. The Boss called the university and sorted out the issue. In the meantime the students sent their letters in prescribed format, contradicting the contents by adding that they had already done the course and sent the certificates to the university along with the exam forms.
"Can there not be more intelligent management?" asked a staff member in frustration. "Can't we do anything to improve things?"
"No. The university is like an elephant walking along the road. Nothing anyone says or does to it sways it. It goes where it wants to go and does what it wants to do, ignoring everyone and everything."
"Except politicians...." someone said and some of them snickered.
The university decided that they should be trained in research methodology before they do any research. The courses run by the university are few and can take only a few students at a time. So it would take months to years to train all students. The colleges were not allowed to conduct courses on their own. Thus the students were ready to appear for their final examinations, their dissertations having reached the university six months earlier, but none had been trained in research methodology. Then one day they sent out a circular that the students should get trained right away or they would not be allowed to appear for their exams. We conducted courses for them on war footing. Their course completion certificates were sent to the university. All was apparently well, until there was another order from the university asking each student to submit a letter to the university that he/she had not undergone the training, and that he/she understood that if he/she did not get trained by the time of the result, his/her result would be withheld.
"Why does the university do such a thing?" a staff member asked. "It is so stressful for the students."
"Can the university not see the certificates it has received?" asked another.
"It is a dumb thing to do" said another.
"It was dumb to ask them to get trained in research methodologies after they had finished their research. It is dumber to make them say they have not got trained when they have submitted their certificates along with their exam forms."
"The college clerk says the letters must be sent" piped in another person, "or hall tickets will not be given."
Finally I drew the Boss' attention to this chaos, though the postgraduates in Boss' department should have done so much earlier. The Boss called the university and sorted out the issue. In the meantime the students sent their letters in prescribed format, contradicting the contents by adding that they had already done the course and sent the certificates to the university along with the exam forms.
"Can there not be more intelligent management?" asked a staff member in frustration. "Can't we do anything to improve things?"
"No. The university is like an elephant walking along the road. Nothing anyone says or does to it sways it. It goes where it wants to go and does what it wants to do, ignoring everyone and everything."
"Except politicians...." someone said and some of them snickered.
