As political parties increasingly provide recognition to youth power, outgoing Lucknow University Vice-Chancellor AS Brar is clear that no student union should return to the university for the next five years.

“Discipline,” he maintains, “is more important than democracy.”

Explaining his stand in the language of a “chemist” — his area of specialisation — the VC said: “Randomness is the nature of a chemical but randomness brings what you sometimes call revolution and sometimes anarchy. Neither is welcome in a university.”

Speaking at a media conference after officially declaring his departure, Brar stressed that the university, which is undergoing a severe financial crunch, needs grant for development.

“My biggest handicap was infrastructure,” he said. “We don't have money for development. The teachers cannot do much research due to the financial constraints.”

A series of discussion with the government, he said, has opened up a possibility of additional grant. “We might be able to implement the Sixth Pay Commission for teachers as well.”

Brar said in former Vice-Chancellor RP Singh's case, where the government wants some recoveries made, the university did not take any action because of the Governor's orders.

“No action can be taken against the vice-chancellor on the government's order, because the appointing authority of the V-C is the Governor. The reports of the committee are not correct and the matter is still under investigation,” he said.

The committee under the then Divisional Commissioner Vijay Shanker Pandey had reported an anomaly in funds use by RP Singh in educational foreign trips. Last month, the government served a second notice to the university, inquiring about the recovery of the amount from Singh.

... contd.