Prof. (Dr.) S. P. Agarwal has been working as the Vice Chancellor of Sai Nath University, Ranchi, Jharkhand since 2016. He has done Graduation in Civil Engineering, Post-graduation in Construction Technology and Management with a gold medal from MITS Gwalior followed by PhD in Civil Engineering with specialization in Solid Waste Management as part of his education. Apart from this, he has a rich work experience in the field of teaching, academics, administration.

Sai Nath University

Being the Vice Chancellor of Sainath University, what is your philosophy of leadership? 

For me, leadership is all about teamwork and just like playing football. So, if we compare it with the game, when you are a Captain, then you have to lead 16 players, but when you are a player, you have to perform as a team player. So, overall leading people of different mindset and experiences is nothing but completing a task by working together in an inclusive and healthy environment.

As a Vice-Chancellor, what are your key responsibilities towards the students?

Being the Vice-Chancellor of the Sainath University, my prime responsibility is to fulfill the academic and non-academic needs of students by providing them with the right guidance and resources at the right time. And it gives me immense pride to say that our students are very much satisfied with the efforts we are putting in to give them the finest quality education.

What do you see as the greatest strengths of Sainath University?

The satisfaction ratio of our students is our core strength and Sainath is a very student friendly University in all perspectives. As, we care for them, listen to their queries and issues carefully and provide them resolution for the same on an earliest basis. Apart from this, we are a very patriotic institution and have all kinds of NCC facilities for students. And NCC we all know is the symbol of patriotism, discipline, dedication, punctuality, and sincerity. Hence overall, our students, facilities and education we provide to them and our core values makes us strong.

What do you think should be the university’s top priority over the next 10 years?

Our university should focus on establishing a Hospital for the students as well as community people. Apart from this, our priority should be on establishing a Medical College and offering PG courses like M.Pharma and MSC Nursing to students through it. We should also focus on promoting the culture of research and innovation on campus, be it related to Pharmacy, Medicine, Agriculture or Nursing field.

What are the biggest challenges that you face as far as Sainath University’s concerned?

For Sainath University, there are no outside competitions here in Jharkhand and at present we are competing with ourselves. But that doesn't mean that outside competition is not good or should not be there, definitely it should be to some extent, because a competitive atmosphere tells that there are opportunities in the outside world. And in my opinion, universities which are doing great at present will only survive, and the students are capable and wise enough to choose and select one for their own benefit and growth.

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What features make your University different and unique as compared to others?

I strongly believe that since students spend all their time here in University, and we as educators stay here only for 10 hours, they definitely are more aware about the mission and vision of Sainath.

And if I talk about the differentiating factors, along with offering quality education to students, we are running an NCC program on campus and also have a dedicated Training and Development Cell to make students industry ready. Apart from this, our university has strong tie-ups with different government councils including Skill Councils, Printing, Electronics Media, Namami Gange, the Ministry of Jal Sakthi Government of India and many more, corporate giants like Jindal, Gillette, Proctor and Gamble followed by various others in the field of paramedical, nursing including RIMS, RINPAS and CIP. Last but not the least, we take students for regular visits to various kinds of industries in order to educate them about the latest happenings of the outside world.

How has Sainath University cherishes diversity and promotes an inclusive environment on campus?

Our Sainath University was established in 2012 and we shifted to our new campus in 2016. And if I talk about the evolution and developments related to Sainath, at present we have enough arrangements for students to play different kinds of outdoor sports such as Cricket, Football, Basketball and Volleyball, and we have an annual sports week every year. 

Apart from this, our university regularly celebrates and organizes various kinds of events and activities such as fresher’s day, Vishwakarma Day, Saraswati Pooja, Engineers Day, Pharmacy Day, Nursing Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. In other words, we are the secular University and one of its kinds who regularly cherishes its diversity of students and teachers. And the best part is we are inculcating the same ideology in our students also for transforming them into responsible citizens and good people.

How do you maintain a healthy atmosphere and good relationship with everyone on campus?

For the purpose of maintaining a cordial relationship with everyone on campus and ensuring they all get a healthy environment to learn and work, I always make sure that discipline is maintained and everyone follows the rules and regulations set by us. In other terms, people should not cross the Laxman Rekha set by the University. Apart from this, we make sure that required decorum is maintained between students and teachers so that their relationship stays formal and friendly at the same time. Overall, by maintaining discipline and ensuring everyone communicates on a regular basis through a transparent, trustworthy and respectful communication channel, I make sure that a good environment can be maintained on campus.

In your experience, what major changes has the Covid pandemic brought in the world of education?

We all are familiar with the fact that when history is written in the future, it will have mention of both pre Covid world and post Covid world. And if I talk about the drastic changes which this pandemic has brought in the world of education, it's definitely the switch of online learning from physical classes as nowadays digital learning platforms are being explored more than ever. Also, the use of gadgets, latest technologies, software and platforms like Zoom, Google Meet have been exploited to a great extent.

But everything is not as smooth as it looks in the region of Jharkhand where internet connectivity is poor and use of technology for learning has become difficult for people. Apart from this, all students are also not fortunate, some belong from tribal background and some of them come from economically poor backgrounds, hence accessing the smartphones just like Delhi people is a luxury for them. In addition to this, I have come across situations like there is only 1 smartphone in a family and the same is being used by the student, his/her father and other members of the family.

Any suggestions which you would like to give to the current youths and aspiring students?

I would advise my dear students to stay focused towards their life goals because when you are focused, your energy is used in a particular direction and you get better results. Apart from this, put all your efforts in whatever you do as hard work is the main mantra of success.