Fwd: My Email about PSG and further developments
Muthu Kumar
From: Ajith Sankar <ajit...@gmail.com>
Date: 7 April 2014 16:55
Subject: My Email about PSG and further developments
To: suchi...@gmail.com, lux.p...@gmail.com, snehash...@gmail.com, "shyaam prasadh.R" <shyaam...@gmail.com>, sg.si...@gmail.com, anjalid...@gmail.com, Sripriya Sundaram <sripri...@gmail.com>, Mohammed Salman <salman...@gmail.com>, vaishna...@yahoo.com, Krishna Moorthy <krishnat...@gmail.com>, chandras...@hotmail.com, priya...@gmail.com, pkrish...@yahoo.com, tssatish bhat <tssa...@gmail.com>, ramalinga...@yahoo.co.in, bani...@gmail.com, srini...@treadsdirect.com, srini...@yahoo.com, raj_s...@yahoo.co.in, Dhanush Dinesh <addh...@gmail.com>, abin...@gmail.com
Hello All/ Stakeholders of PSG Institutions,
Hope you all are well.
There has been some developments which i wanted to share with those who would be interested to read through the same, as stakeholders of PSG Institutions. If not, you may kindly ignore this email.
Following my email on April 1st (included as a Word Document attachment if you have not read through it earlier), i've been going through a number of experiences, primarily unpleasant.
1. Following the receipt of this April 1st email, the Director, PSGIM, rebuked me in a number of ways, questioned my character, and threatened legal actions against me. On the same day evening, he also referred to me with certain phrases, which i prefer not to mention here, as i give respect to the position he is donning. I was also asked to leave the system.
2. To ascertain – on whether i should leave PSGIM or not - was the opinion of all, and as students are the prime stakeholders of any institution, i took a poll amongst all the second year Anna University MBA students. The poll, which maintained anonymity, and with vote counting done by students, gave the result that 76% of the students wanted me to stay. Amongst the many who voted "No", they also wrote comments stating that they voted for "No" because they wish me to go to a better institute/ better opportunity.
3. The next day or so, on one of the mornings, i was called by the Administrative Officer (AO) of PSGIM, to his office, where the Director, PSGIM, was also present. During the discussion they've mentioned that it is not acceptable that i've sent such an email, and demanded my resignation by 5.00 PM that day. Else, it was told to me that they will dismiss me from the institution, and it was told that i would not be allowed in the campus from the next day onwards.
3. As i stand by the spirit and essence of my April 1 email content, choosing to resign would be tantamount to accepting that i have done a grave mistake. As the content of the email is valid and pertinent, i chose not to submit the resignation.
4. On Saturday afternoon (April 5), when i came to PSGIM, i found my room to be locked from outside (please find the photos attached along with this email). This has been done without my permission. There has been increasing attempts to block my work at PSGIM. Earlier, my official e-mail account has been discontinued. Later, my login and password to access internet has been blocked. Now, my room has also been locked, thereby almost ensuring that i do not work at PSGIM.
5. Today (April 7), when I went to sign the attendance register, I was not allowed to sign the register, stating the reason that I am no longer in the rolls. Usually, the attendance register is kept in the IM reception. Today, it was shifted to the room of Administrative Officer.
What is it that you would like me to do?
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My responses to typical questions that few of the people have asked me:
1. We agree to the spirit and essence of your email, though we are not sure about your approach. Why don't you directly speak to the Trustee?
Am willing to discuss about this with anyone, including the Trustee. Almost everyone agree to the spirit and essence of email, though they have questions about my approach. Unfortunately, unlike all of them, who am thankful to for giving me their moral support, i do not see any other approach to bring light to an issue that everyone is concerned about, but nobody dares to do anything about it - "The system is like this" (Through this email, i offer my apologies, in public, to the not-so-ideal approach that i have taken in my April 1st email. I understand that it is inappropriate to take someone else’s name in the email, and I apologize for the same). Also, managing PSG Institutions is a collective endeavor, and not just the work of Trustee, and everyone has responsibility towards the effective running of these institutions.
2. You are part of the system, and you should align to the system.
I may be part of the system, in the sense that I deliver my duties and responsibilities of being a faculty member. My salary does not come from the institute, instead, it is channelized through the institute. My salary comes from the students, and that money comes from the society. Thus, while I have a responsibility to the management, I have a similar responsibility to the students, and also to the society.
3. Why only PSG? Everyone is taking capitation fee.
(a) Would you do whatever everyone else is doing? Others taking capitation fee is not a justification for PSG Institutions taking capitation fee. (b) There is enough revenue generation amongst PSG Institutions that PSG Institutions, under able leadership, can run without taking capitation fee. (c) If PSG stops taking capitation fee, it would set an example for other institutions to have a relook about their practices.
4. Captitation Fee is being used for important and useful purposes.
In the current context, this is only partially true. Please find out what % of revenues generated last year was specifically spend for socially and environmentally responsible activities. PSGIM, for the academic year 2012-13, spend 0.00X% or even lesser than that, though it can be mentioned the PSGIM has given the money to Trust. Increasingly, we also witness, over-charging at various levels across PSG Institutions. Some months ago, the room rent for faculty who were staying at PSG Guest House Annexe was increased by 100%, and food costs went up by 80-100%.
5. PSG is better than many institutions.
a. I agree to this statement, and i hope and wish that this institution becomes numero uno in imbuing goodness, and social and environmental responsibility. Unfortunately, profiteering from education is getting embedded in PSG culture. If it has taken root, it should be removed. To know the essence of education in Indian culture, and how/ whether fee should be charged from students, discourses on Taittiriya Upanishad by Swami Chinmayananda could prove to be a good reference. At a practice level, one may refer to the operational models of Swaraj University, Bhoomi College of Sustainability Studies etc., that offers education on the concept of gift economy - where student choose what to pay at the end of the course. One can even benchmark Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning for their operational model. While PSG is better than many institutions, there are institutions that is better than PSG too.
6. PSG is only charging exorbitant fee from those who are willing to pay.
This is only partially true. There are many students who pay the fee through loans and borrowals. Also, what about students who pass-out of educational institutions by paying lakhs as capitation fee? When their objective is "Return on Investment", how will they contribute to serving the society? Think about doctors, engineers and MBAs coming out after paying lakhs.
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My suggestions to improve the system are as follows:
1. PSG Trust and each of the institutions affiliated to PSG Institutions should release an annual report that has audited financial statements. Many trusts and charitable foundations (A number of charitable trusts, service organisations and NGOs regularly release the annual financial statements in the public domain. Some of the leading Ivy League universities also release detailed annual reports).
2. PSG Institutions, including PSGIM, should develop a time-bound plan to eliminate taking capitation fee, in this name or any name, whatsoever.
3. To imbibe and inculcate the spirit that education is not business. PSG Instutions should recruit and retain only those who create the next generation of "men and women of character". Educational institutions are Temples of Saraswathi, and not temples of Lakshmi.
4. To ensure that whatever revenue that is generated is used within a time-bound plan, and is not kept accrued. As the revenue is coming from the society, the revenue should return to the society.
5. To significantly increase the number of full scholarships at all PSG Institutions.
6. To stop collecting fees from students under various category heads, despite no services being offered to them under those categories, or only namesake services are done.
7. Every course in PSG Institutions should go through a Values, Social Responsibility and Environmental Responsibility audit. There should be components in all programmes that promote volunteerism and socially and environmentally responsible activities. The institution can also support these causes monetarily and whole-heartedly, and not just as opportunities for PR/ brand building.
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Blocking my email account, internet access, locking my room and non permission to sign the attendance rolls communicates the lack of support for my continuance at the institute. Thus, the below are some of the possible options:
1. I will have to take the help of law enforcing machinery to ensure that my room is unlocked. Some of my valid documents like passport are there in my room. All my original certificates (Xth, XIIth, Grad, PG, Work Experience Certificates etc.) are there with PSG Tech Admin Block, which was taken from me, almost six years ago, during my time of joining.
2. I will have to take active help from organisations and people who have a strong anti-corruption stand.
3. Leave the job, thinking that wisdom will prevail among all minds at some point of time, and each one of us will actively voice out and act against corruption, at an individual and institutional level, and that we will not remain anonymous bystanders.
4. Attempt to continue to work in this institution.
My actions are not against any individual at PSG. My actions are not against PSG Institutions. The "system" has become corrupt, and it is time that the management and stakeholders of PSG Institutions takes measures to redirect PSG Institutions in the direction that aligns with the vision of the founding fathers and the former doyens of PSG Institutions like GRD. I ask you, as part of the management/ faculty/ student/ alumni/ association member of the PSG Institutions, to let me know, on which of the path i ought to chart. I have not made my choice on any of the above paths. It is for you to decide what path i should follow. It is also for you to decide on how you can contribute to transform this system.
As Swami Vivekananda says, "The rise of nations comes with an increase of men of character and of strong ethical and moral fibre." Let the objective of PSG Institutions be to create generations of such people.
Thankyou for your time.
Regards,
Ajith