A new paradigm for higher education through IGNOU
By: Dr. Ateequllah Dar
Education is a key or adducer in order to find oneself and the world in which we live. Creativity is the process of finding either intellectually or through understanding. Education helps in understanding the surroundings in which we live and creativity helps in lifting the curtains from all that which is hidden from us. Creativity is poetry, it is philosophy, it is a psychology and things which are hidden from us, creativity helps us in finding them out. Those who are not intelligent, they can never know creativity. Intelligence is the basis, it is the problem solving activity- a cell on which the battery works. A good teacher or administrator requires wisdom, emotional maturity, confidence and the art of planning to run and control the system for efficient management. Such a person must have the ability of postulata, the cognition and recognition to achieve the desired results for the interests of the people or students.
For success, one has to understand others. Good administrator or good teacher is a person who establishes a model and tries to understand other people, the subordinates or colleagues, students and their innate ideas.
This is true of an outstanding academician, an astute administrator, Dr Kamleesh Meena, Director IGNOU, Srinagar. Undeniably, he holds the craftsmanship and unparalled stature, logical in thinking, independent in taking decisions, authoritative in style and expression and positive in head and heart. I have not seen him compromising with the social service. This is what an administrator should be.
Dr Kamlesh Meena is crystal clear in maintaining interpersonal relationship, to reform the mindsets for strengthen education and develops self esteem, confidence, determination and a responsible system effectively, efficiently and professionally for younger generation. Being an elevated mind, he fervently observes that the prime motive of any administrator, teacher or counselor, should and must be within the two brackets- Who serves how? and who serves how best?
His height of being universal and pragmatist has the highest mission that includes developing among students the creative thinking for reconstruction of knowledge, to equip them to acquire competencies relevant to the new specific pedagogy curriculum development, to reform the mindsets for grasping new and fresh changes that are conducive to the carriers and interests of the students, to develop the association of ideas among students through discussions, debates and seminars and the development of introspection and the spirit of comradeship besides the capacity to welcome change.
During his officaldom, as Assistant Director IGNOU, Sgr, some years ago, he vested almost every college in Kashmir and left indelible marks and intellectual accomplishments in establishing the role and responsibility of IGNOU for the mission development of IGNOU students. All this hard work and understanding fetched him the post of Director, IGNOU, Sgr. He is a young, enthusiastic and multifaceted social scholar, educationist, motivator with some 13years of experience in higher education besides eight years of experience as an astute journalist.
Many many unrivalled landmarks were found under his thumb with regard to the universalization of higher education through IGNOU. He has taken unwavering efforts to empower deprived and marginalized segments of society through new possibilities who are facing manifold economic and social bottlenecks due to which they fail to pursue higher education as regular candidature.
He imbibed the spirit of social reformation through education so that the youth from different areas, different communities and different casts are welcome in the field of modern knowledge and may meet with new challenges with a common and single mindedness.
Under his chair, he proposed to establish new study centres of IGNOU in Kashmir valley. He also visited Leh and Kargil and lectured extensively with ethereal and comprehensive topics for upcoming future plans and programmes imitated by IGNOU for rural reconstruction and promotion of inter-cultural and inter-social amity through education.
Dr Kamleesh Meena has a wide range of knowledge and exposure. As social reformer, he has actively participated in national level seminars and workshops on educational and socio-economic developments. Laboriously, he has done a great job in the form publications/letters to editors, especially, Dainik Navjyoti Daily Hindi News Paper, “Web Duniya Ki Pakar, Open distance learning, education through IGNOU, Daily Navjoti Rajisthan, Sanjhi Duniya Magazines, Change of regime in Rajisthan,12-Nov 2018.
Dr Kamleesh Meena has also received the “Ranthambhore Ratan” in education. What makes him to the height unreachable for the rest is his activeness in his duties, resourcefulness in his field with dealings and industriousness in discharging obligations.
In work culture, “make hay’ while the sun shines” has been his principle of life. He vehemently urges that genuine issues and grievances of the students and the staff can be appreciated and applauded as and when addressed to his chair. He is very happy and jolly for getting full respect, affection and honour from everyone, whether high or low, great or small, whether rank or file or elites. It is hoped that under the benign thumb of Dr Kamlesh meena, IGNOU-study centre, Srinagar will prosper in leaps and bounds.
The writer is IGNOU counsellor, Amarsingh College Srinagar and former lecturer Philosophy, GDC, Women’s Baramulla. [email protected]
