CU NEWS - University of Calicut · send our delegation with promotional CDs and brochures, ... around the area of Big Bazaar ... normal activities of the bazaar;

1 CUN E W S January 2004

Contents

VC’s Column 2

University Initiative to Preserve Calicut Heritage 3

Mathematics of Two Cultures: Ancient Indian and Greek 5

Fascinating World of Physics 6

Department of Botany 9

Ambedkar, A Mahamanav 13

Farook College Rising to Excellence 14

Prof. G. Gopinathan- International Hindi University VC 16

campus round up 17

Profile:Prof. M. Sivadasan 20

Varsity in brief

Chair in Maritime History of South India 21

Recommendation for School of Mathematics 21

EDITORIAL BOARDMr. V.S. Sasibhooshanan Nair, Head, Dept. of Mass Communication & JournalismProf. Sankaran Ravindran, Head, Dept. of EnglishProf. Syed Amjed Ahmed, Director, AVRCProf. T.B. Venugopala Panicker, Head. Dept. of MalayalamProf. Krishna Kumar, Head, Dept. of MathamaticsProf. D. Prabhakaran Nair, Head, Dept. of EconomicsSri. Valsarajan P.V., Publication OfficerSri. T.P. Rajeevan, Public Relations Officer (Editor)Published byDr. P.P. Mohammed, Registrar, University of CalicutPhotos: Biju UthupLayout Design: Omprakash

Calicut University P.O.,pin 673 635, Kerala, India

Te: 0494-2401144 to 52 & 2401665 to 75Fax: 0494-2400269. Telegram: UNICAL

CU NEWSissue 3 - january 2004

C A L I C U T U N I V E R S I T Y T R I M O N T H L Y C H R O N I C L E

2CUN E W SJanuary 2004

he late C.H. Mohammed Koya, founder Pro-chancellor of the University of Calicut in his address

to the first meeting of the University Syndicate inNovember 1968 said: “The Calicut University shall notbe just one University more or another University forthe State, but it shall be a new University for the Stateand rise to the contemporary challenges”. Though it ismore than three decades since he said so, these wordsare still inspiringly relevant. And, each and every one ofus, who associates with the University, both directly andindirectly, irrespective of our positions and honours,should keep it in memory for fulfilling our commitmentto a noble cause envisaged by the visionary forerunners.

What made me recollect the founder’s appeal, particularlyat the beginning of a new year, are certain fresh initiativesthe University has taken upon itself to expand its scopeand reach beyond the geographical borders with a viewto providing higher educational opportunity not only tothe resident Malayalees but to the expatriates in theArab countries also. What’s more, no institution will eitherprosper or develop unless and until it inquires into newareas of performance and taps new possibilities byredefining its functional parameters. It should be in thisperspective that the present programmes to enhancethe facilities of the existing centres and to set up newones in the Gulf countries be viewed.

That is, the University of Calicut, recognizing the spiritof the Founding Father’s words, accepts the newchallenge of the 21st century in providing qualityeducation through E-learning and distance education inthe Gulf region. And, the University with a large numberof outstanding colleges affiliated to it would play aprominent role in providing quality education to the Gulfcountries in the years to come.

I have had opportunities for direct interaction with theMalayalee communities living in the Arab countries during

V C ’ s C o l u m n

my recent visit to the U. A. E and Oman, which made merealise that most of the Keralite/Indian parents in thosecountries prefer to have their children educated throughthe University of Calicut. I could also meet authorities ofhigher education of those countries and hold discussionswith them.

I apprised them of various skill-based courses offeredby the University like Costume and Fashion Designing,Hotel Management, MCA & MBA. These courses aregaining popularity among the Arab students. Added tothis is the fact Kerala is becoming a new highereducational destination for the Arabs after 9/11. Hencethe University of Calicut has to make a conscious effortto bring Arab students to the University.

In April, Calicut University will participate in a majoreducational exhibition in the U.A. E and Oman. We willsend our delegation with promotional CDs and brochures,so that they can showcase what our University can offer,to both the Arab and the expatriate students.

We have excellent educational institutions under theUniversity, but we are not marketing them properly. Andthe time has come now-primarily due to Globalisationand opening up of economy. Let us export education;let our people as well as our institution go abroad… thisis indeed what the time demands.

Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain

T


Setting a model for others on thesame board is, perhaps, the noblestof all accomplishments not only foran individual but for an institutionalso. And, doubtlessly, the CalicutUniversity ’s latest initiative forpreserving the cultural and historicalheritage of the Calicut city is onesuch. For the University of Calicut, thecity of Calicut, one of the premierhistorical cities in India and the oldestin Kerala is not just a neighborhoodthe University owes for its name; butit is its existential ambience. It is inthis context that the presentprogramme for heritage preservationbecomes a first-time major steptowards fulfil l ing the socialresponsibility of uplifting the Malabarregion from its backwardness, asenvisaged by the founders andbestowed upon the University at thetime of its founding.

A meeting of historians, cultural andsocial activists and businessmen washeld at the Calicut Chamber ofCommerce Hall on December 13, atthe behest of the Vice-Chancellor,Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain to chalk outthe details of implementing theprogramme. The eminent historianand former ICHR Chairman,Prof..M..G. S Narayanan, the Head ofthe Department of History, Prof. V.

Objectives of the project:Y Repair and preservation of the old buildings in and

around the area of Big Bazaar (Valiyangadi),keeping intact its architectural style. This can bedone without disturbing any of the shops orhabitation sites in the area;

Y Cleaning and beautifying the entire area ofValiyangadi, once again, without disturbing thenormal activities of the bazaar;

Y Identifying all the buildings and sites of historicalimportance in the area, and providing information

on them to the public and tourists throughcomputerized display mechanisms;

Y Compiling a detailed place name and site index onthe area for publication.

Y Establishing a light and Sound show on the heritageof the City of Calicut, which will be set up in theValiyangadi area.

The project area will include Valiyangadi, Moonalingal,Kuttichira, Kundungal and the south beach area, whichconsists of the Old City area of Calicut.

C o v e r S t o r y

Kunjali, the former Head, Prof. S MMohammed Koya, Dr. K N Ganesh,hoteliers and representatives ofvarious business and commerceorganizations attended the meeting.All the speakers delineated well indepth the significance of theprogramme vis a vis the importanceof the city.

Dr. K N Ganesh, in his theme papersaid, Calicut’s international fame, asa trade centre, dates back tocenturies. The Arab, Persian and theChinese merchants, historical recordsand their travelogues say, used to visitthe city even during the medievalperiod. The city also attracted theEuropean merchants, and Vasco daGama made his way from Malindi inEast Africa directly to Calicut, in hisquest for spices and oriental wealth.A centre for the ensuing struggle for

University Initiativeto PreserveCalicut Heritage


trade, Calicut also became acentre for resistance againstthe European domination.

Although Calicut hasexpanded into a modern citysince then, its historical corestill remains. The expansionprogrammes and culturalevents that take place inCalicut pay very littleattention to the preservationof the ancient coastal town.As a result, even the residentsof Calicut are not fully aware of thehistorical monuments in theirvicinity; and the need to preservethem for the posterity is imperative.Many buildings, which are marvelsof medieval architecture in the oldtown, have been demolished or areawaiting demolition any time.

Calicut has had a cosmopolitanpopulation, consisting of Arabs,Persians, Konkanies, Gujaratis,Marwaris, Jains, Buddhists andParsis. And many of the survivingfamilies even now preserve theircultural traditions.The remains ofEuropean factories (Pandikasalas)can also be found in the area. Thereis a need to recognize and preservethese monuments. In this context,it is important that the residents ofCalicut, as well as tourists are

architects, engineers, townplanners, historians, andsocial scientists. Assistanceof agencies like chambers ofC o m m e r c e ,varthakamandalam, variousmerchant’s associations,architects’ groups like NirmithiKendra, habitat technologygroup, artist’s organizations,architect’s organizations,cultural organizations likeINTACH will be solicited.

The project will be implemented withthe participation of the people in thearea, who will be trained in thepreservation of heritage. Theduration of the project will be twoyears. The project will be dividedinto three phases. The first phasewill be for preparation, training ofthe personnel and environmentcreation in the project area; thesecond phase will be for repair ofthe buildings, cleaning andbeautification, and the third will bethe establishment of the light andsound show. It is expected that theproject will be completed by the endof 2006

-P.R. Release.

familiarized with the historicalheritage of the city. The relevanceof historical tourism has to beemphasized today, when ourheritage is either being forgotten, orbeing distorted to serve narrow,communitarian interests. Theheritage of Calicut is probably the

best demon-stration of thevalues oftolerance andcommunal amity,which our peoplehave preservedfor centuries.

The project will bea ninterdisciplinaryeffort with theassistance of

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof.Syed Iqbal Hasnain Introducing the

project at the meeting. Also seen are Prof. M.G.S. Narayanan,

Dr. K.N. Ganesh and Prof. Kunhali.

Thali Temple

Kuttichira Mosque


I f modern mathemat ics could be, and fa i r lyappropriately too, compared to a mighty river, itsorigins, like that of any river, would consist of tricklesand rivulets, said Dr. Ramaiyengar Sridharan, theAdjunct Professor and INSA Senior Scientist atChennai Mathematical Institute, Chennai. He wasdelivering the frontier series lecture on ‘Mathematicsof two cultures: ancient Indian and Greek.’

Mathematical awakening at thedawn of human civilization doesindeed belong to the category of“undefinable” - the “Anfang” inHegel ’s language - thebeginnings with a primacy”. Thefulfilment of its inherent potencyhad to wait for the growth ofhuman c iv i l i zat ion. Thisfulfilment in mathematics came substantially from twodifferent cultures - the ancient Indian and the Greek.

Mathematics owes its form and content to the happyconfluence of the “complementary” contributions ofthese two cultures. This complementarity arisesmainly from the differing attitudes to life and realityof the peoples of the civilizations.

The roots of the ancient Indian mathematics, like mostof the intellectual heritage of the country, go vastlyto the Vedic tradition and, to a large extent, remaindeferential to the Vedic thoughts. It dealt witharithmetic, arithmetic geometry and algorithms. TheGreeks, however, dissatisfied with the “irrationality”

frontier lecture series

Mathematics oftwo cultures:Ancient Indian and Greek

of the actual reality, aspired and dreamt for an idealworld - a “rational” world.

A strong conviction in rationality brought, as aconsequence, the deductive method exemplified byEuclid’s geometry. By a true miracle, there was aconfluence of these two differing approaches thatled eventually to the emergence of modern

Mathematics, as it is understoodtoday.

(Dr. Ramaiyengar Sridharan is amathematician well known for hisunderstanding of the broad cultureof Mathematics. He was SeniorProfessor of mathematics at TIFR,Mumbai. At present, he is AdjunctProfessor and INSA Senior Scientistat Chennai Mathematical Institute,

Chennai. He was visiting Professor at variousinstitutions like Ecole Norm Superiore, Pisa, Universityof California, Berkeley and E.I.H. Zurich. He receivedthe Bhatnagar Award in 1981. He is a fellow of Indianacademy of Sciences, Indian National Academy ofsciences, Council Member of ISI Calculus and Editorof several reputed journals. He is an Algebraist ofhigh reputation and has about 49 publications injournals like Inventione Mathematics, Journal ofAlgebra, Transactions of Mathematical Society etc.to his credit)-Prof. V. Krishnakumar,

Convenor, Frontier Lecture Series.

Dr. Ramaiyengar Sridharan


“Nature!” Out of the simplest matter it creates most diversethings, without the slightest effort, with the greatest perfection.As the frontiers of knowledge advances, today’s discovery willbecome tomorrow’s technology. Next week, it will become socommon in every home that one would forget where it all began.

FascinatingWorld of Physics

The Department of Physics,University of Calicut, ever since itsinception in 1971, has been strivingfor excellence in teaching and forpromoting physics education in thecomparatively backward area ofMalabar.

In order to give a fresh impetusto the promotion of Physics educationin schools and col leges and toencourage awareness in the youngergeneration on the various advancesthat are currently taking place,particularly in physics, across theglobe, the Physics Departmentorganised a five-day workshop and

exhibition, highlighting the advancesand contributions of physics.

The main objective of theexhibition was to make the studentsand public aware of the impact ofphysics in our day-to-day life. Theworkshop was aimed at the youngerphysics teachers who would be thesource of inspiration to the cominggenerations. Experts who have severalyears of research experience sharedtheir knowledge with the youngergeneration during the lecture sessions.

On December 1, 2003, theprogramme began with Prof. K.Neelakandan, Head, Department ofPhysics, welcoming the gathering.The Vice-Chancellor Prof. Syed IqbalHasnain presided over the function.The inaugural address was given byProf J. Sasidhara Prasad, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Mysore. Inhis speech Prof. Prasad highlighted theimportance of Physics education.Felicitations were offered by K.M.Abdul Rasheed, the SyndicateMember, Prof. Balasubramani, theHead, Depart of Mathematics, Dr. P.Rameshan, the Dean, Faculty ofScience and Prof. M.P. Kannan, theHead, Department of Chemistry.

The role of fundamental sciencesin technological development need notbe over emphasized. Be it thecomputer, the satellites, weatherprediction or medical diagnostics,everywhere science plays thefundamental and crucial role. Thebuilding blocks of the technologicaledifice are scientific principles.

At the heart of every machine andevery device are principles ofPHYSICS. Yet, the onslaught of thetechnological revolution has pushedthe importance of science educationto the background. Technology istemporary but science is eternal.

r e p o r t

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain delivering the Presidential Address


Prof. B.R.S. Babu proposed a vote ofthanks.

Immediately after the inauguralsession, Dr. R. Sridharan, Director,Space Physics Division, VSSC,Trivandrum gave a talk on the SpaceProgramme of India.

On subsequent days, severaldistinguished speakers gave lectureson Space Physics, Materials Science,Nuclear Physics, Astrophysics,Radiation Physics and LinuxApplications.

Prof. Sasidhara Prasad in hislecture on the importance of materialsscience, detailed some very interestingproperties of the liquid crystals andcrystallographic studies.

Dr. K.G. Ramakrishnan talkedabout Radiology and usefulness ofRadiations in Medical Diagnostics,particularly in treating the cancerpatients.

Prof. K.P. Vijaya Kumar, gave a talkon the Materials Science wherein hehighlighted the importance of nanoparticles. He also spoke on thesuperconducting materials and theirusefulness in the present technologicaldevelopments.

Prof. R.G. Pillay, talked on NuclearStructure Studies. He brought to thenotice of the audience the variousfront line experimental facilities thatare available to carry out such studiesparticularly at TIFR. His talk alsomade the students aware of thevarious national facilities that areavailable to do research in theforefront areas on par with any of thedeveloped nations.

Prof. C.V. Baba in his speech onNuclear Reactions brought out some

In order to give a fresh impetus to the promotion of Physics education

in schools and colleges and to encourage awareness in the younger

generation on the various advances that are currently taking place,

particularly in physics, across the globe, the Physics Department

organised a five-day workshop and exhibition, highlighting the

advances and contributions of physics

In the exhibition the ISRO had several models of satellites like ROHINIand ARYABHATTA that were put into orbit by them. They also displayedseveral posters describing the PSLV, GSLV, Solar system. The HAL exhibitedtwo Air Craft Engines designed and developed by them. The Institute ofAstrophysics had set up a small telescope for participants to view thesun’s spots. The University of Mysore had set up simple experimentsshowing the properties of Liquid Crystals and superconducting materials.The Regional Cancer Centre and Directorate of Radiation Safety hadexhibited several still models of various irradiation equipment such as CTSCAN and GAMMA-CAMERA, used in the medical diagnostics. In additionthey also displayed several postures explaining the principles governingthese equipment.

The Department of Physics demonstrated different experiments that areregularly done by the students and researchers, using scintillationspectrometers, GM Counters, Crystal Structures, Van De Graaff and soon. Some of the properties of Liquid Nitrogen also were demonstrated.The Indian Railway had set up the Computer based software programmeused in the IVRS (Interactive Voice Recording System) that announcesthe arrival and departure schedules of trains within a given time interval.

The BSNL had set up the optical communication lines, ISDN lines and theVideo conferencing facilities. The NCC Group had exhibited Artillery Gunand remote controlled ships. They had also displayed several postersexplaining the career opportunities in the Services.

A number of business establishments also participated in the exhibition.(Nucleonix, Hyderabad, Scientific Enterprises, Zenith Computers, BenzComputers, Computer City, Syz Com , Accutrol, USA are some of them.

Essay and quiz competitions for school and college students andinstrument/machine modeling competition for school students wereorganised as part of the programme to promote creativity in the buddingscientists. About 15,000 students and teachers from different Schoolsand Colleges, in 5 districts under Calicut University attended the Workshopand Exhibition.


aspects of the processes that govern the Nuclearreactions and the Physics underlining the process.

Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer talked on the importanceof Physics in our life. He pointed out some of the seriousproblems which mankind might face due to unscrupuloususage of the technological development.

Dr. G. Ramakrishnan talked on the RadiationDosemetry, and the various applications of radiation inthe fields of medicine and industry. He also brought tothe notice of the audience the various radiation facilitiesthat are available for medical purposes in and outsideKerala.

Prof. T. Padmanabhan gave a talk on the variousaspects of Astrophysics wherein he pointed out the salientfeatures of the studies in Astrophysics. He also mentioned

the various observatory facilities that are available in Indiaand the kinds of work that can be undertaken with thesefacilities.

Prof. C.V.K. Baba gave a talk on the origin of elementsand the nucleosynthesis process which is a topic of greatinterest to all Astrophysicists.

The valedictory function was held on December 5 inwhich the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain wasthe Chief Guest. The valedictory address was given byC.V. Radhakrishnan, TUG of India, Trivandrum.

Mr. Pradeep Houdino, well-known magicianpresented a programme highlighting the importance ofPhysics behind magic.

!

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain addressing

the Indian Community at a function held in Dubai. The

Controller of Examinations, Prof. P.K. Sasi is also seen.

Dr. M.K. Muneer, Hon’ble Minister for Public Works

Department calling on the Vice Chancellor at the

University Guest House.

!

"


f e a t u r e

The Department of Post GraduateStudies and Research in Botany,established on 23rd July 1968, is oneof the four teaching Departmentswith which Calicut University cameinto being. During its initial stagesthe Department was under theKerala University in Kottamparambain Calicut city and was shifted to thenew campus at Thenhipalam afterthe formal launch of the CalicutUniversity.

The objective was to build up aneducation centre which wouldcontribute to the social developmentof North Kerala and would achieveexcellence in research and teachingby promoting higher education andimproving human resources in thesociety.

The Department has five maindivisions such as Genetics and PlantBreeding, Physiology andBiochemistry, Mycology and PlantPathology, Angiosperm Taxonomyand Floristics and PlantMorphogenesis. In addition to thesefive divisions and the respective

In Lovewith Nature

Department of Botany

laborataries, the Departmentpossesses two field ResearchLaboratories, Gregor Johann MendelField Research Laboratoryestablished in 1988 and BiomassResearch Centre established in 1992.The Department also maintains aBotanical Garden in the campus.

The Department now offers anM.Sc. course in Plant Science andMPhil-Phd Programmes. Earlier, theDepartment was conducting M.Sc.Botany as an annual course and itwas later restructured in tune withthe new developments in the areaof Plant Science and was renamedas M.Sc. Plant Science in semestersystem with the followingspecialisations:

Ø Angiosperm Taxonomy andFloristics Ø Plantation Botany Ø SeedTechnology Ø Environmental ScienceØ Tissue Culture and PlantBiotechnology Ø Genetics and CropImprovement Ø Biofertil iserTtechnology Ø Enzymology ØMycology Ø Cell and MolecularBiology Ø Principles and Practices of

Horticulture and GardenManagement Ø Conservation ofMedicinal Plants, Museology andHerbarium Techniques.

The Department has an excellentlibrary with more than 7000 booksand many journals. A separate libraryis maintained as ‘Dr. V.V SivarajanMemorial IAAT Library’ in honour ofthe late Prof. Dr. V.V. Sivarajan. Anumber of books, Floras,Monographs and journals areavailable here for reference.

The Department has got closelinks with Indian and ForeignUniversities and Research Institutes.Seventeen Research Projects withfinance amounting to Rs. 88. 7 Lakhshave already been completedespecially in the field of Taxonomy,Biodiversity, Tissue Culture, PlantPhysiology and Biochemistry. Atpresent the teachers are busy withresearch projects like - All Indiacoordinated project on TaxonomyCapacity Building on Pteridophytesand Gymnosperms, Chair in PlantTaxonomy, Rivision of Indian


Rheedea: is published in Juneand December every year.Original research papers on allaspects of AngiospermTaxonomy are considered forpublication in this Journal. Thepapers are usually referred to atleast two reviewers forcomments before its acceptancefor publication/rejection.Rheedea has now gained wideInternational repute and hasbeen subscribed by a number ofbotanical institutions in India andabroad. Now The Journal is inits 10th Volume.

Zingiberaceae. Over 900 ResearchPapers have been published from thisDepartment, since its inception.

The Department also offers twoendowment awards, one in the nameof the late Prof. Dr. V.V. Sivarajan, forthe top scorer in Plant Taxonomypaper of MSc. Botany/Plant Science.Another in the name of Prof.(Dr.).K..Unnikrishnan the formerHead of the Department, is awardedto the first rank holder in MSc PlantScience. The Department publishesone internationally reputed researchjournal named Rheedea under theIndian Association for AngiospermTaxonomy.

Calicut UniversityBotanical Garden

The Botany Department has oneof the largest botanical gardensamong the Indian Universities. It wasestablished in 1971. The Botanicalgarden is spread over 19.5 hectaresof land comprising a wet central planesurrounded by undulating lateriticterraces. This garden has a collectionof over 1500 local and introducedplants. There are more than 1000

species of tropical and subtropicalplants. Most of them are introducedfrom the Western Ghats of SouthIndia. The garden holds a goodcollection of Ferns, Zingibers andAroids from different parts of India.The Botanical garden has a separatespice garden, arboratum andbamboosetum. A rare collection ofornamentals and wild plants ismaintained in the green house. Acollection of about 200 species ofmedicinal plants is maintainedseparately. Besides the introducedand exotic elements about 450 wildflowering plant species are alsointroduced in the garden. A numberof Post Graduate, M.Phil and Researchstudents are making use of thecollection.

Calicut UniversityHerbarium(CALI)

The Botany Department has aninternationally approved Herbariumheaded by a curator. The Herbariumholds a collection of over 35000specimens. It includes 4500specimens of Pteridophytes from theWestern Ghats of Kerala along with63 type specimens collected fromdifferent parts of the country.

The Herbarium now possesses agood representative collection ofvascular plants of South India. It alsoholds a complete set of specimensfrom Silent Valley National Park,Wayanad District and Agasthyamala.

The Herbarium has ongoingexchange facility with otherinternational herbaria such as KewHerbarium and Rijks herbarium of theNetherlands. A large number ofresearchers from India and abroadare making use of this collection.


Biomass ResearchCentre(BRC)

The Biomass Research Centre,established in 1992, has a fieldlaboratory with a field experimentalplot, a tissue culture laboratory anda nursery. It has already completedmany research projects and hasstarted another project on Biomassproduction through tissue culture.This project is funded by the Ministryof Non-conventional Energy Sources,Government of India. The mainobjectives of the project are 1. In vivostudies: To study the naturalvariations in the seedlings andselected stress-tolerant tree speciessuitable for the different agro climaticzones. 2. In vitro Studies: To studystress tolerance in vitro and assesssomaclonal variation for selection oftolerants.

ClonalPropogation

To standarize micro-propogationand macro-propogation techniquesfor mass production of plantingmaterials of stress tolerant lines/treesspecies selected through in vivo andin vitro studies.

ConsultancyServices

Consultancy Services are offeredby the Taxonomy division on theidentification of flowering plants andFerns to the local people, privatenurseries, Pharmaceutical industries,students, teachers and researchersfrom different colleges along withResearch institutes and otherdepartments on the campus.

The faculty members are involvedin the preparation of BiodiversityRegister of Vallikunnu GramaPanchayat and various conservationprogrammes. A workshop onmedicinal plants was organised by theDepartment in which traditionalMedical Practitioners participated.The Biomass Research Centre of theDepartment has initiated aprogramme in association withNallalam Grama Panchayat andKozhikode Distrist Panchayat onconservation of Mangrove ecosystem.

The Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Salaregularly consults the Department onthe identification of various medicinalplants. The department participates

in various exhibitions and flowershows with the aim of familiarizingand educating the general public andstudents particularly on theconservation of rare and endangeredmedicinal and economically importantplants of the state.

Calicut UniversityBotanical Society(CUBS)

The Calicut University BotanicalSociety is a gathering of Facultymembers, Research Fellows, andStudents of the Department ofBotany. Its aim is to expand thehorizons of knowledge and academicinteractions in the developing areasof biological sciences. Facultymembers and experts from inside andoutside the Department and otherinstitutions are invited to give lectureson developments in biology andrelated subjects. The CUBS alsoarranges field trips to ecologicallyimportant areas and educate thestudents on the significance ofconservation of nature andbiodiversity.

Indian Associationfor AngiospermTaxonomy (IAAT)

Indian Association for AngiospermTaxonomy (IAAT) was established in1990 with the headquarters at theDepartment of Botany, University ofCalicut. The aim of this association isto cultivate Angiosperm Taxonomistsin India for purposeful exchange ofideas, to encourage collaborativework among Taxonomists and also toprovide a link between AngiospermTaxonomists of India with theircounterparts abroad. The IAAT has


more than 250 life members and 35ordinary members from all over India.It organises meetings and holdsdiscussions periodically on scientificand academic matters.

IAAT LibrarySince the demise of the former

Secretary Prof. Dr. V.V. Sivarajan, inDecember 1995, his collection ofBotanical literature and books havebeen preserved in his name as Dr. V.V.Sivarajan Memorial IAAT Library. Anumber of books, monographs, backvolumes of Journals, floras andoriginal reprints were contributed tothis library by late Prof. Dr. Jose K.Mangaly and Prof. Dr. K.S. Manilal, ontheir retirement. A number ofresearch students from variousinstitutions in India visit this libraryfor their reference work.

RheedeaRheedea is a research journal

published from the Department inJune and December every year. It isthe official journal of IndianAssociation for AngiospermTaxonomy. Original research paperson all aspects of Angiosperm

Taxonomy are considered forpublication in this journal. Rheedeahas now gained wide internationalrepute and is subscribed by a numberof Botanical Institutions in India andabroad. The Department receivesforeign journals in exchange ofReedea.

Currently the Department isheaded by Dr. S. Nandakumar. Hehas a number of progressive ideaswhich he intends to implement withthe cooperation of his colleagues andstudent community. He considerseducation as a tool to develop anindividual’s capacity which will enablehim to harness and befriend hisenvironment.

The Department of Botany hasbeen acclaimed as one of theexcellent centres under the Universityof Calicut. The Department during thelast 35 years of its existence hascontributed substantially to thefloristic studies in the country.

Sujith K.K.

Department of Journalism & Mass

Communication

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CHRONICLE


There are different images of Ambedkar within theDalit and non Dalit communities, which only suggestthat there are different levels of perception of Ambedkar,stated Dr. Gopal Guru. He was delivering a lecture onDr. Ambedkar as a Mahamanav in the fifth frontierlecture series held at the Seminar Complex of the CalicutUniversity on 28 - 11- 2003.

Guru opened his discussion by commenting howAmbedkar and his image have created an intellectualatmosphere in the society. He talked at length aboutthe image of Ambedkar that is being developed as acultural construct by the Dalits and non-Dalits in thecountry.

Of late Ambedkar has become a relevant symbolamong the non-Dalit community also. This is becauseof the electoral compulsions, he opined. Suddenlypoliticians are discovering sterling qualities in Ambedkar.It takes a lot of time to appreciate Ambedkar whichaccounts for the late discovery in Ambedkar. This is notthe case with other political thinkers in the country.Dr..Guru argued that there are three images of Ambedkarwhich the Dalits have developed over a period of time.

1. The image of Mahamanav. 2. The image ofMessiah - having capacity to change the sufferings ofDalits. 3. The image of a modernist.

Ambedkar becomes a Mahamanav because he hadextraordinary moral qualities- the sense of makingsupreme sacrifice for the common good. Secondly hehad an oceanic knowledge. He created a huge body ofliterature across the social science disciplines.

Dr. Guru suggested that Ambedkar was generatinghis own intellectual activism. He was not borrowing. Itwas evident from his writing that Ambedkar himself didnot subscribe to the view of Mahamanav. But now peopleare grafting meaning on him.

Dalits have developed a Messiah in Ambedkar. Dalitwomen invoke Ambedkar as a supernatural force to freethem from harrassments from their in-laws. This Messiahimage is very evident in folk poetry and Dalit feministliterature.

The third image of a modernist becomes importantbecause, now a days, scholars both in India and abroadare trying to convert Ambedkar into a postmodernist.This is a terrible injustice to Ambedkar because he wasnever a postmodernist, said Gopal Guru.

Post modernism basically denies any kind ofcoherent understanding of reality and image building isagainst postmodernist thinking, he opined.

Dr. Guru’s conclusion was that the Dalits were tryingto identify Ambedkar at a symbolic level, not at theintellectual level. This tendency to resort to imagessuspend the cause of Dalits. The true challenge is notto look at Ambedkar as a Dalit hero alone, but as achampion of the subaltern cause.

!

frontier lecture seriesAmbedkar,A Mahamanav

Gopal Guru

Prof. Gopal Guru delivering the fifth Frontier Lecutre


Farook College has always occupiedan esteemed place among thecolleges under the University ofCalicut. The establishment of FarookCollege in the year after theindependence was a turning pointin the renaissance of Kerala Muslims.At the time of its inception FarookCollege was the only first gradecollege in central Malabar. During theinitial stage it was affiliated to theMadras University. Following theState’s reorganisation the collegecame under the University of Keralain 1957 and under the University ofCalicut in 1968.

The credit for transforming the socialfabric of the region through theexpansion of this secular educationcentre goes to the Rouzathul UloomAssociation, the parent body of theeducation complex on the campus.This higher education centre couldsuccessfully wipeout the darknessthat encircled a community whichhad been subjected to colonialpressure unparalleled in the historyof the region.

Today Farook College stands high as

the biggest residential Post Graduateinstitution under the CalicutUniversity, with a five star levelaccreditation by NationalAssessment and AccreditationCouncil (NAAC). It offers instructionin various disciplines, at the graduateand post graduate level. Theinstitution also provides curricularand co-carricular activities for themental and moral development ofthe students. Its special care for themoral standard, and the religiousand spiritual discourses conductedfrom time to time help students toenrich their personal as well as socialidentity.

The college was chosen by the Govt.of Kerala to receive R. Sanker Awardfor the best special grade (private)college in the state in 1998-2000.As a token of its commitment to thecause of higher education, thecollege was also selected by the FordFoundation, a respectedinternational educational agency inNew York, to receive a major grantunder its project, the CampusDiversity Initiative. The motto of thecollege is ORA AT LABORA—PRAY

f e a t u r e

Farook College

Rising toExcellence

AND WORK.

The CollegeLibraryFarook College proudly holds alibrary which is one of the biggest ofits kind in the state. The new librarystructure, Abu Sabha LibraryComplex was inaugurated by hisExcellency the President of India, Dr.A. P. J Abdul Kalam on 17-11-2003.The library with an area of 27,000sq. ft. maintains a reader friendlyatmosphere. It has a collection of65,000 volumes and it subscribesnearly 150 periodicals. The library isequipped with modern high tech.facilities. An audio visual sectionattached to the Library has a goodcol lection of cassettes, fi lms,gramophone records, CDs etc. All thecollections in the library are classifiedand catalogued. The new librarycomplex is dedicated to the lovingmemory of Moulavi Abu SabhaAhmed, the founder of the campus.

Centre forHuman Resources


DevelopmentIt is an inhouse training centreexclusively designed for providingtraining to improve the efficiency andstrength of the human resource atall levels. It also provides space fordeveloping tools for better exercisesin this line The centre has a specialprogramme ‘learning to learn’ whichis meant to address the issue ofmotivation, goal setting and planningof the students who are crossing thedelicate line of adolescence. Theprogramme is approved by theU.G.C. under its project COSSIP.Farook College is a nodal agency ofthe CHILD LINE, the aim of which isto protect the right of children andensuring access to quality serviceand technology to the poorest of thepoor. It is operated with theassistance from the Govt. of India.

InformaticsCentreThe Informatics centre which wasestablished in 1999, is equipped witha computer network based onWindows NT Net Work operatingsystem. It includes a Windows NTserver and 38 work stations. Theweb development centre and cyberhouse which are the indices of theexpansion of the informatics centreare nearing completion. The entireproject, including the interior of thecentre was provided by Ms T.K.Beefathima Beevi MemorialCharitable Trust, Chaliyam,Kozhikode.

Mappila Studiesand ResearchCentreIt is a Centre housed on the campus

to promote research and documentation on Malabar Studies. It provides financialassistance for minor projects on the issues of structural formation of variablesin the social fabric of the region and the community. The centre also updatesthe data pertaining to the issues of the marginalized demographic groups inthe region.

Career and Course Guidance CentreTo provide career and course guidance services for the students at all levels,the college runs a career and course guidance centre on its campus. One ofthe major programmes of the centre is the IQ test held yearly for the first yearunder graduate students of the College. It is almost like the talent test for theCivil Service examination. The selected students will be admitted to aprogramme spread over three academic years where they will be exposed todifferent modules on motivation, general studies and general aspects with

regard to the Civil Service examination.

P.M. Institute of Civil ServiceExamination.The Farook College has taken initiative to begin a Civil Service Coaching Centreon its Campus. The Institute of Civil Services Examination is visualized as amajor residential centre of excellence for rigorous and specific training for CivilService examination combined with basic academics and personalitydevelopment. Selection of the students is based on Common Entrance Test,Group Discussion and Interview. The minimum eligibility for admission isgraduation in any discipline. There is a galaxy of eminent experts as consultantsand resource persons. The institute is supported by Dr..P..Mohamed Ali,Managing Director, Gulfar Group, Muscat.

The Institute of Regional Studies andDocumentation


To promote research, particularly inter-disciplinary andcollaborative research with special emphasis on Intraand Inter communal linkages, the college runs theInstitute of Regional Studies and Documentation. Thecentre aims at promoting micro level research anddocumentation with a view to bring out the main traitsof social formation in the region. The institute hasseparate wings such as the Centre for Human ResourcesDevelopment, an autonomous body which is exclusivelydesigned for providing training to different groups withdifferent requirements, the Centre for cultural Heritage,which aims at providing a spatial point for collection,edition and exhibition of cultural objects of the regionand Mappila Studies and Research Centre, meant topromote research and documentation of MalabarStudies. Mr. P.K. Ahmed Sahib is the chairman of theInstitute.

Presently the college is headed by Dr. P.M. MubarakPasha. He assumed office on 1st of April 1996. Accordingto him education is a tool for social empowerment.Progressive education helps to improve the social,economic conditions and welfare of the people. “Theeducational thinking and programme of the college isbased on the principles of progressive education.” saysDr. Pasha. When asked to comment on the overalldevelopment of the college the Principal said “Everythingin our college is self sufficient and self complementary.We also have an enlightened management which is thegreatest asset of the college.”

Jobichan Malom

Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication

Prof. G Gopinathan, former Professor and Headof the Department of Hindi, University of Calicut,has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor,International Hindi University, Vardha.

Prof. Gopinathan is a well-known scholar intranslation studies. He was the visiting Professorin many universities outside India. Problems oftranslation, Anuvad Sindhandh Aur Prayog, KeralKi Sanskritik Virasat, Selected Poems ofSreenarayana Guru are some of his works whichare widely discussed among scholars in andoutside India. He was the founder President ofTranslators Forum, Dept. of Hindi, University ofCalicut. He has won many awards includingNetaji Puraskar by Anuvad Parishad, New Delhi.

InternationalHindi UniversityVice Chancellor

Prof. G. Gopinathan

The Stolen Generation, Departmental Students UnionMagazine, won the Malayala Manorama Chief Editor’s

Trophy for the Best College Magazine 2002. TheEditorial Committee members of the magazine are

seen with the Vice Chancellor.


campus round upPhysical EducationWomen Kho-Kho Tournaments

The South-West Zone Inter University Women’s Kho-KhoTournament Championship was held at the CalicutUniversity Stadium from 20 to 24, December last year.Sixty universities from the southern and western partsof the country participated in the Championship.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain inauguratedthe championship on December 20 at a function presidedover by Prof. V. Narayanankutty, Member of the Syndicate.Sri. V.P.Abdul Hameed, Member of the Syndicate offeredfalicitations. The Controller of Examinations Prof. P.K..Sasiwelcomed the gathering of players, coaches, managersand sports lovers. The Asst. Director-in-charge, Dr. K.P.Manoj Proposed a vote of thanks.

The Calicut University team led by Beena Thomas wonthe championship. The Pune University was the runnerup with the Mysore University just behind them in thethird position.

Prof. Abdur Rasheed, Member of the Syndicate,inaugurated The All India Inter University Women Kho-Kho Tournament on December 26. Six teams hadoriginally been qualified for the All India competition.But, the Punjabi University and the Calcutta Universityteams opted out. Hence, there were only four teams onthe fray: Calicut, Pune, Mumbai and Mysore.

Calicut University emerged champion in the All IndiaTournament as well by defeating Pune University. MysoreUniversity Scored the Third place defeating MumbaiUniversity. SBT Area General Manager, B. Srikumar andDean of Students Welfare Prof. V. Rajagopalan distributedprizes at the closing ceremony. Sri. M. Krishna Das, a

MPED Student of the Centre for Physical Education washonoured for his lifetime achievement of representingIndia in the first Afro-Asian Games held at Hyderabad inOctober,2003.

-Dr. Manoj, Director-in-charge,

Dept. of Physical Education

MalayalamThe department of Malayalam conducted a seminar onCinema and screened film classics in connection withthe75th anniversary of the Malayalam Cinema, fromOctober 20-22. Noted film director, P.T. Kunhimohamedinaugurated and film critics G.P. Ramachandran andP..Geetha presented papers.

Prof. T. B. Venugopala Panicker, Head of the departmentpresented a paper on ‘a new look into Prof. Mundassery’scritical assumptions’ in a seminar at Kalady organisedby the Association for Comparative studies on November9.

The Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-dit) and the Department of Malayalam jointly organiseda dialogue on Linguistic Computing on November 9. Dr.Achyut Sankar S Nair, Director, C-dit, Dr. N. GopinathanNair, Dept. of Malayalam, Dr. B. Sreedevi, Dept. of English,Dr. C. Rajendran, Dept. of Sanskrit, and Sri. SasibhooshanNair, Dept of Mass Communication, participated.Prof. T. B. Venugopala Panicker

Head, Dept. of Malayalam

The Calicut University Team

Vice Chancellor Inaugurating the Championships


ArabicThe Department council of the Arabic Department hasdecided to set up a Translation Bureau in the department.It will be functional by the third week of January. ThisBureau will be useful to the people who work in the Gulfcountries, as it would undertake translation of travel,license, death compensation and other documents atreasonable rates.

The open defense on the Ph. D thesis submitted byHussain. P. K. was held on January 13 at the SeminarComplex. This was the first open defense in the ArabicDepartment. The topic of the thesis is ‘Emigrant scholarsin two cities (Makka and Medina) and their works.’

Dr. K. M. Mohamed, the professor and Head attendedtwo national seminars in Hyderabad, conducted by the

campus round up

CIEFL and the Indian Muslim Association in Novemberand December last year respectively. The CIEFL seminarwas on ‘ Modern Arabic Literature in Saudi Arabia’, inwhich he presented a paper on the ‘Development ofArabic Novels in Saudi Arabia’. In the IMA seminar on‘Educational problems of Muslims’, he presented a paperon ‘ Educational backwardness of Muslims –reasons andremedies’.

Dr. A. I. Rahmatthulla, the Reader, participated asChairperson in the work shop on “the functions of worldlevel interest free banking establishments” conducted atHotel Hyson, Calicut by I.O.S, New Delhi, Kerala chapteron December 8.

Prof. K. M. Mohamed,

Head, Dept. of Arabic.

Library and Information Sciencegave felicitations.

Dineshan. K, Secretary, DELISAA, proposed a vote ofthanks. The inaugural session concluded at 1.45 PM.

In the after noon there was the meeting of the Alumniand the teachers of the Department. Future programmeswere chalked out and cultural programmes werepresented.

Inaugural Function – DELISA

The Department of Library and Information ScienceAlumni Association (DELISAA) was inaugurated at afunction held at the Senate Hall at 10.30 am on 5th

December 2003.

M. Parameswaran, the Head of the Departmentinaugurated the function and T. M. Vasudevan, theSenior Lecturer and President of the Association presidedover it. M. Parameswaran in his inaugural address saidan alumni association should serve asa liaison between the faculty and theformer students in organisingprogrammes from which both canacademically and professionally benefit.K. Ravindran, the former Librarian, M.G. University and Head, Department ofMedical Documentation, delivered atalk on ‘relative merits of the softwareand various other aspects in thecomputerisation of libraries’.

Dr. Raju. M. Mathew and Dr. Jalaja V,Readers in the Department and T. P.ONazirudheen, Research Scholar (FIP)


campus round upNational Library Week celebrated

The National Library Week was celebrated in theCampus on November 11 last year under the jointauspices of the Department of Library & InformationScience and the Calicut Regional Committee of KeralaLibrary Association.

In the function held at the Department, M.Parameswaran, Head of the Department, presided. Inhis address he said reading habit should be nurturedfrom early childhood. Dr. C. Rajendran, Professor,Department of Sanskrit gave a talk on “Electronic Mediaand Reading”. He explained how reading habit can helpin personality development and how can a personcoordinate reading habit and the use of electronicmedia.

The prizes to the winners in the essay competitionorganised by the K. L. A’s Calicut regional committeeswere distributed at the function. Abdul Razak of theEMEA College, Kondotty and Baby Sheeba from theDepartment of Education, Calicut University won the1st and 2nd prizes respectively.

Dr. Raju M Mathew and Dr. Jalaja also spoke on theoccasion. T.P.O Nazirudheen, President RegionalCommittee, KLA welcomed the audience and Sri.Dineshan. K, Secretary, Regional Committee, KLA,proposed a vote of thanks.

M. Parameswaran,

Head Dept. of Library & information science

ZoologyDr. Nadykta Vladimir, Dr. Ismailov Vladimir, the Headand the Director of the All-Russia Research Institute ofBiological Plant Protection, Russia, Dr. KovelencoViachellay, the Head, Strongpoing Caucsus visited theDepartment of Zoology on October 16. The visit waspart of a Research programme of the Department ofAgricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. ofIndia. The scientists held discussion with Prof. T.C.Narendran of the Department of Zoology on theBiosystematics of insects of the group parasiticHymenoptera which are widely used for biocontrol

EnglishProf. S. Sankaran Raveendran, the Head, Dept. ofEnglish attended the annual meeting of the All IndiaEnglish Teachers Association held at the MeerutUniversity from December 19-21. He delivered a lectureon ‘ The Neglected and the Forgotten in English studiesin India’ in the Public Lecture series.

-Prof. S. Sankaran Raveendran,

Head, Dept. of English

programme against insect pests all over the world, andboth the parties agreed upon future collaborativeresearch on the Biosystematics and Biocontrolprogrammes. Dr. S. K. Jalali, Senior Scientist,Project Directorate of Biological Control of IndianCouncil of Agricultural Research also participated inthe discussion

The visiting scientists took part in a seminar.

Prof. U V K Mohammed,

Head, Dept. of Zoology.

Chair forChristianStudiesThe Chair forChristian Studies organised the Xmas’s celebrationson December 13. Mrs. Keshwar Iqbal Hasnaininaugurated the celebrations held at the SeminarComplex. There was musical entertainment by theRex Band, International Music Troupe.


The Convention on Biodiversity andits aftermaths, and thedevelopment in the f ie ld ofbiotechnology aroused a renewedawareness on the importance of therich biodiversity wealth and itssusta ined ut i l i zat ion in theeconomic development of thecountry. This made it imperativeto know the details of the plantdiversity and plant wealth of thecountry. Realizing the importanceof Plant Taxonomy, the basic andfundamental branch of P lantScience, in the assessment of theplant wealth, and also the dearthof P lant taxonomists, theGovernment of India formulatedand implemented Al l IndiaCoordinated Project on CapacityBuilding in Taxonomy (AICOPTAX)under the Ministry of Environmentand Forests. As part of itsobjectives a Chair for Taxonomyunder plant Sciences has beenestablished, to provide recognitionand addit ional support todistinguished taxonomists of Indiaso that they may continue theirgood work to achieve greaterexcellence and provide guidanceand support to others working insimilar areas. Prof. M. Sivadasanof the Department of Botany,Cal icut Univers i ty, has beenselected as the Chair of Taxonomyfor Plant Sciences. Being the firstawardee of the Chair, i t isconsidered a great national honourand recognition to Prof. Sivadasan,

P r o f i l e

Prof. M. Sivadasan

National honour and recognition toCalicut University Professor

and in turn to the BotanyDepartment and to the CalicutUniversity. The tenure of the Chairis for three years. Apart from theFellowship to Prof. Sivadasan, agrant of Rupees One lakh per yeartowards contingent expenditure,and an addit ional grant foremploying a Research Associate tohelp him in his research activitieswill also be provided.

Prof. Sivadasan was the founder-treasurer of the Indian Associationfor Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT),an association exclusively formedfor the progress and developmentof the Taxonomy of theAngiosperms-the flowering plants.Later he also served as the Vice-President of the Association, andpresently he is its Secretary. Prof.Sivadasan was the Executive Editorof Rheedea,the official journal ofthe IAAT which is devoted to thepublication of research articles onvarious aspects of taxonomy of

flowering plants and is of highinternational repute.

Apart from being a member ofvarious academic bodies, Prof.Sivadasan is a member of theInternational Aroid Society (USA),and Conservat ion BreedingSpecialist Group (CBSG) of theSpecies Survival Commission (SSC)of the International Union forConservation of Nature and NaturalResources (IUCN); and Life Memberand fellow of the Indian BotanicalSociety, and the Indian Associationfor Angiosperm Taxonomy (IAAT).He was a fellow of the renownedSmithsonian Inst itut ion,Washington D.C.,,U.SA, and carriedout taxonomic research under theable supervision and guidance ofthe eminent taxonomist andspecialist on Plant nomenclature,Dr. Dan H. Nicoson. Prof Sivadasanhas visited and worked in variousresearch institutes and Universitiesof the countries like the U.S.A, U.K.,Germany, the Netherlands, Austria,France, Canada and Switzerland,and carr ied out research andstudies in col laborat ion withscientists of several national andinternational research institutions.Prof. S ivadasan has attendedseveral national and internationalseminars and conferences. Beinga recognized research guide of theCalicut University, several studentshave worked under him for theirM.Phil and Ph.D. degrees. He has5 books and over 100 researchpublication to his credit.


v a r s i t y i n b r i e f

Chair for Maritime History of South IndiaThe University, with the assistance from The Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defense(Navy) will institute a Chair for promoting study of maritime history of south India andIndia’s maritime capabilities in ancient times. The main focus of the chair will be on studyingthe factors that led to the neglect and decline of India’s maritime capability, which in turncontributed to the colonization of India and the loss of trade and cultural linkages.

The Chair will guide students for Ph.D and further academic activities in the associated field.It will also organise lectures, workshops and seminars on Indian Ocean studies and maritimestrategy for Naval Officers& Trainees. And there would be provision for publishing papers/journals on Maritime History of South India.

The Chair shall have the right to award fellowships for research work in consultation withthe Donor. It will co-operate with other Maritime Research Chairs.

P R Release.

Recommendation for School of MathematicsThe University Academic council has recommended setting up of a School of Mathematicson the main Campus at Thenjipalam. The proposed School will have four branches and theexisting departments of Mathematics and Statistics will be brought under it withoutaffecting their independent functioning.

The Academic Council also has resolved to allow the students who complete the B. Techcourse but do not pass out, to register for MBA course.

P R Release

#Vice Chancellor Dr. Syed Iqbal Hasnain addressingthe meeting of the DSU Award Night

!Sri. P.V. Chandran, Managing Editor, Mathrubhumi

Daily, receiving the award for the Best MalayalamDaily from the Vice Chancellor

DSU Award Night

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