Grade A for MDU

Rohtak,
Students and staff of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here have a reason to cheer. The university has been granted grade A by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council of the University Grants Commission for the first time.
While the development has left university officials elated, many believe that work remains to be done in terms of the academic atmosphere and autonomy in faculty recruitment. The MDU has a campus strength of around 15,000 students and regular teaching staff of about 350. "Grade A is an indication of the work done on various fronts," claimed a spokesperson of the university. Admitting that the grading had slipped from B-plus to B a few years years ago, he said the authorities had worked hard to remove snags and ensure changes to ensure that the work was recognised.
Officials said the work included development of infrastructure, introduction of new courses, sharp jump in research work and collaboration with reputed national organisations. The MDU public relations officer said 16 new courses, includes 13 postgraduate ones, had been started in the recent past.
A section of staff and students felt that the university required freedom from political interference. "Most selections are not free from political interference and this has adversely affected the quality of teaching," claimed a senior faculty member on the condition of anonymity. About 160 appointments had been made in the last five years.
The answer sheet scam had not only marred the image of the MDU, but pointed to a nexus in the administration. Over 2,000 unmarked answer sheets were recovered from the roof of the administrative block. "While a probe is on, the authorities will have to root out the problem," an MBA student said.