Applying for eminence!

Jagdeep S. Chhokar

On September 13, 2017, almost all newspapers carried headlines such as 'Institutions of Eminence': UGC to invite applications, and Varsities can now seek 'eminence' status. Most of them also carried the UGC advertisement titled "Inviting proposals for Institutions of Eminence" the same day.

The advertisement gives a link which leads one to two other links, one to the "Proforma for Public Institutions for submission of the proposal for as (sic) 'Institution of Eminence'" (www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/3426130_Proforma_PubInstitution-Eminence-IoE_12-09-17.pdf) and another for 'Private' institutions (www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7198512_Proforma-Pvt-Institution-Eminence-IoE_12-09-17.pdf). A look at these two proformas gives one a first-hand experience of what is going to be said below.

Any institution that considers itself to be, or to be capable of becoming an Institution of Eminence, or anyone wanting to set up an institution that is expected to become so, is required to apply by filling in the requisite proforma. One of the proformas is 14-page long and requires 44 annexures, and the other is 16-pages, and requires 46 annexures. Once applications are received, these will be appraised by an "Expert Empowered Committee".

Ten public institutions and 10 private institutions are to be declared as Institutions of Eminence, and each of these 20 institutions is to be given up to Rs 1,000 crore "in a span of five years starting from the financial year of declaration of Institute as Institute of Eminence."

All this is being done under what is called "UGC (Declaration of Government Educational Institutions as Institutions of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017" meant for "providing regulatory structure for enabling higher educational institutions to become world class teaching and research institutions."

The entire process, symbolised by the requirement of filling in proformas for applying, is a travesty (or antithesis) of eminence. There seems to be fundamental confusion or misunderstanding of what the word 'eminence' means or implies. The obvious place to start in such matters is a dictionary.

Various dictionaries use the following words in trying to give the meaning of 'eminence': prominence, reputations, importance, fame, glory, celebrity, distinction, note, esteem, rank, dignity, prestige, superiority, greatness, renown, pre-eminence, report, notability, illustriousness. Examples of 'eminence' mentioned are "A position of great distinction or superiority; rose to eminence as a surgeon," "A person of high station or great achievements," "high status, importance owing tomarked superiority; 'a scholar of great eminence'".

Eminence cannot be ensured

Those with even a nodding acquaintance with eminence and a related quality, excellence, particularly in the academic world, would know that such qualities cannot be legislated and cannot even be ensured by the availability of large amounts of money. Eminence and excellence have to be inculcated and nurtured over long periods of time.

It is extremely unusual for a person to start off with the intention of becoming eminent. Eminence is achieved by one's actions and that too over a long period of time. Similarly, it may be possible to set up an institution with the intention, more like hope, of making it into an institute of eminence but what is critical to remember is that eminence is bestowed on those outside the institution. Eminence is thus earned or commanded and cannot be demanded or claimed.

No institution that is anywhere near being an institute of eminence and with any self-respect is likely to be happy filling in such inane proforma. Some who find the lure of Rs 1,000 crore over five years irresistible, might do this but the effort of filling in the proforma is only going to take them away from the real work of trying to do good work that such an institution should be doing.

It’s an act of faith

It is possible and not too difficult to set up organisations such as colleges and universities but it is an extremely difficult and arduous task to get them to evolve them into 'institutions'. As a builder of an institution said many years ago, "The building of an educational institution is often an act of faith and the expression of that faith is in a philosophy on the basis of which those who build such institutions act" (Ravi J. Matthai, first full-time Director of IIM, Ahmedabad,1965-72).

If the government wishes to enable some institutions to become world class, it needs to have the faith in the people who are entrusted, not tasked, to create them rather than providing (a bureaucratic) regulatory structure to control and govern these institutions.

The writer is a former Dean and Director, IIM, Ahmedabad