The English Press Club sat down with Prof. Navin Singh, Associate Dean, SWD, to engage in his initiative to welcome the newly inducted batch onto campus and guide them sensibly.

Prof. Singh started by reminding the students of the hard work behind securing a seat in BITS, and urged them to be cautious of anything that could distract them from their aspirations. He expressed his belief in the flexible system of BITS, and stated that with the new-found freedom comes the duty of choosing between right and wrong. He encouraged the students to relish this phase of life, albeit within acceptable limits. According to him, finding these limits, both academically and otherwise, was the key to leading a fulfilling life. He also advised students to never compromise on their academics. 

‘I have found a beautiful bond between seniors and juniors in BITS,’ Prof. Singh stated when asked about his observations on senior-junior dynamics. Mentioning a ‘grey’ area that he had encountered, he mentioned that a few juniors tend to be misguided on the issue of substance abuse. He stated that seniors sometimes understate the gravity of the consequences of these activities. He warned that this was not, however, something to be trivialised. He also wished to remind the students that simply a warning letter from the Registrar suffices to bar them from the Merit-Cum-Need (MCN) scholarship.

‘It is a severe issue for the administration,’ he expressed while mentioning the implications this issue entailed. A new system of identifying prohibited substances present inside hostels is currently in the process of being implemented, possibly by next month. The administration has already received a quotation from an external agency possessing tools capable of locating such substances using professional tools. 

‘As far as the thought process goes, the administration is aligned,’ Prof. Singh said, hoping that his communication to the English Press Club would serve as a means of disseminating information to everyone so that nobody is taken by surprise.

Acknowledging the physical limitations of currently monitoring substance use on campus, he said, ‘We are professors, not policemen’. The administration is aware that alerting messages are circulated right before a hostel check, he stated. There would be no scope for such alerts once professional equipment is employed. ‘It’s high time to be alert now,’ he added as a cautionary message. He admitted that such measures may lead to increased numbers of semester-backs. However, the intent of implementing such procedures is ‘not to punish, but rather to rectify.’

Admitting that there is not much opportunity for him to modify the policies regarding substance abuse at a campus level, he commented that the Senate documents at the university level are currently under revision. Transparency was to be achieved, and one instance where students have already encountered these efforts was ensuring that students had to read the documents before registration and mark their agreement. This process commenced during his term as Chief Warden. He further spoke of another initiative he had implemented on campus during that tenure: shifting the hostel allotment process to an online portal. 

When inquired about the recurring water shortages and electricity issues on campus, he stated that water shortages are a concern not just on campus but in Pilani as a whole and that the leadership is working hard at negotiations to bring water to the campus.

‘Everything cannot be explained because unless the results are not there, you will not believe,’ he admitted. He appealed to the students to keep faith in the administration regarding this issue. As for the power crisis, he stated that hooking all the hostels up on DG backup is in action. ‘We expect that by mid-November, all the hostels will be on DG backup. I’m not promising; I’m guessing that .’

Another matter of concern that the Associate Dean wanted to address publicly was the heedless activities during birthday celebrations, namely the GPL and usage of fire extinguishers. He mentioned that accidents have happened in the past at other institutes, and discussions are ongoing to abate this matter across all BITS campuses. 

As a side note, he also requested everyone to read the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) guidelines present on the websites of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and the Student Welfare Division (SWD), noting that issues regarding biases in gender had been received by him.

His message to the new batch on campus was simple yet straightforward: ‘Be careful.’ Encouraging students to employ common sense, he wished to prompt them to accept any information or advice only after weighing and judging the consequences comprehensively. ‘Once you’ve chosen it, you have to own it. So if you’re punished, you should not say that you have been misguided.’