As of today, J J School is Unauthorized!

The news that J J School of Art has been awarded De-Novo status was prominently reported in the newspaper (also) recently. ‘Chinha’ had even made it viral on social media. Thereafter on last Saturday (15th July), on Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy’s 240th birth anniversary, we also read that J J’s alumni and current students got together to celebrate that news.

Anyone who knows the name of J J School of Art must have seen this news! But surprisingly, Professor (?) Vishwanath Sable, who holds the post of Dean of J J, seems to be unaware of the news. Otherwise, he would not have planned the selection process interviews for admissions to the MFA program. As soon as ‘Chinha’ published news about this entire matter, there was a stir in the area surrounding J J and in the field of art education.

In fact, Dr Santosh Kshirsagar, Dean in-charge of J J Institute of Applied Art, located in J J’s campus, took a very good step. He sent a letter to the Art Director and decided to start only the BFA classes this year and not to continue MFA classes. Because anyhow as part of the De-Novo, the new curriculum courses are to begin from the coming academic year. Then who would value these old courses? Moreover, how to start MFA classes this year and run them for the next two years without adequate manpower? Probably thinking on these lines this way, he might have taken this decision. Anyway.

But Sable, who strongly opposed De-Novo since the beginning, did not pay attention to the news published in the national newspapers about De-Novo. Not only this, but Sable also conveniently ignored the GR issued by the government (in fact that GR must have been sent to Mr Sable by the government. Because in the decision-making process, his name was there being the Dean), and started moves to begin BFA and MFA classes at JJ School of Art this year as well.

In fact, he cannot take this decision without the approval of the Art Director or Superiors. But if he has taken it anyway, it can certainly be said that this is a very serious incident. And if that is so, and if the in-charge Art Director Rajeev Mishra has given permission, then that also is a very serious matter. Because in the committee which was formed by the government to make De-Novo operational, along with Mr Sable, Mr Rajeev Mishra was also a key official member.

This obviously means that neither of the above senior officials of the Art Directorate were attentive in their work. Otherwise, they would not have taken such a rash decision. Due to this decision, there will be a big challenge of space to begin the classes of the new De-Novo-based curriculum. Neither Mr Sable nor Mr Rajeev Mishra seem to have given any thought to where will the arrangements be made for the new students once the De-Novo courses begin.

In an institution where students do not have enough space to study, basic amenities like ladies’ toilet, common room, computer lab are also missing, and where the much talked about De-Novo courses are going to begin soon, can any sensible person decide to continue the old courses too? But the fact remains that Mr Sable has taken such a ridiculous decision. While writing this article, interviews with students of J J’s MFA course were also going on.

The rains have wreaked havoc all over Maharashtra. The communication system has also been disturbed. In such a situation, the Dean of J J has invited students from all over Maharashtra for an admission interview. And who is going to conduct these interviews? Those teachers who are not even remotely related to degree education. Isn’t it funny? But such pitiful gags continue to take place in J J. And we are consistently giving them publicity. Due to this publicity, the concerned people are subject to humiliation in front of the whole society (For example, Mrigank Joshi, a former Professor in J J passed away recently. In the poster of his condolence meeting, J J School of Art mentioned him as ‘Mrigang’. What can one say? It was heavily criticized in the social media.) It gives an ugly impression of what caliber of teachers are teaching in J J, but even then, nothing stops such things from happening.

The scariest part was that the in-charge Art Director of Maharashtra had reached Delhi while all this was going on. Do you know what for? AICTE, which governs India’s education system, has recently withdrawn the permission given to JJ School of Art to run the courses. It is said that Rajeev Mishra had gone there with the Secretary’s letter to get it back. How terrible is this?

How is the governance like in a 166-year-old renowned educational institution like J J School of Art? This is a dreadful incident that shows what sort of candidates have been appointed by the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) in J J over the years. On further investigation in this regard, it was found that this is not the first time that such an incident has happened just by accident. This is the third iteration of such incidents. When the first such incident took place, Mr Saurabh Vijay was the Secretary of Education Department. He had got this permission back by coaxing the authorities. Later Mr Vinay Rastogi took over as the Education Secretary. During his tenure, once again the permission of J J School of Art was withdrawn due to the same reason. Mr Rastogi restored the permission by a similar approach of coaxing the authorities. It was expected that Sable, the present Dean of J J, would have become wiser due to these two past incidents. But that didn’t happen. Sable has made the same mistake once again. Therefore, AICTE again for the third time withdrew the academic recognition of J J School of Art. Once again, the Education Secretary sent his letter to Delhi through Art Director Rajeev Mishra to Delhi. But we have come to know that he returned from Delhi empty handed.

Who knows how likely is J J to get the permission restored for the third time? Because this is where another institution has driven a wedge in this situation. It is none other than the Supreme Court. Yes! The Supreme Court from whom the whole of India expects justice, had earlier announced the decision which will now be absolutely binding on AICTE. The way things were going earlier, won’t continue anymore. Therefore, unlike earlier times, now there is no possibility of getting permission in two or three days, by cajoling the concerned. Since your organization belonged to the Government of Maharashtra, your antics have been tolerated by the concerned so far, but now they too will have to bow down before the Supreme Court’s order. This is the real reason why Art Director Rajeev Mishra, who is adept at managing anyone, had to return from Delhi empty handed and face down.

What will happen next? Will J J get back academic recognition from AICTE? If yes, in how many days will it be received? Or will it take a month? For how long these questions will remain unanswered? It is obvious that no one will be able to answer these questions now. Every such thing was permissible earlier. But now it won’t work that way. It is certain that no officer of AICTE will get into such hassle because noncompliance will be considered as contempt of the Supreme Court’s decision.

While here in Mumbai, J J Dean Sable is busy arranging the farce of student interviews for admission to MFA program. In all, about 400 students are currently studying in J J including those from Fine Art, Art & Craft, Sculpture and other Education and Training programs combined. However, while writing this article or by Sunday, the statement ‘Education in J J is unauthorized’ will become applicable.

Sable is very lucky. The way he got into J J and got promotions one after the other, and his entire journey is astounding for a common man. His achievements in the past one and a half to two decades in J J have been documented by newspapers from time to time. ‘Chinha’ has also brought his ‘achievements’ before society from time to time. But his insistence on using different strategies to get away has helped him every time. Except for a recent intervening period of six to seven years, his supporters always stood by him. And now his supporters have also come in the cabinet ministry. And have begun sitting next to the ruling parties. So, who knows, they will run around to get academic recognition for J J for the sake of helping Sable. But now the matter lies with the Supreme Court. Better that everyone keeps this in mind. The Supreme Court has so far straightened up many bigwigs in the past, is doing it now and soon going to do the same with the ‘top bigwigs’. That’s why J J and the Art Directorate are now looking forward to future events with bated breath.

But what is certain is that the courses currently being taught at J J School of Art, a 166-year-old world-class educational institution, are U N A U T H O R I Z E D. How terrible is this? J J Dean, Art Director, and the brazen officials of the Higher and Technical Education Department under whose jurisdiction these departments fall, should all be ashamed of this.

What if, AICTE does not grant the permission, do these people have the slightest idea of what will happen to the future of all the students? How do you not feel ashamed playing with the lives of students like this? Do you have any idea that you have endangered the lives of 400 to 450 students studying in J J because of your shameless act?

We are quoting 400 to 450 students studying in J J as an approximate number. You are responsible even for this. Because no one can say for sure exactly how many students study in J J at present. In this regard, an article written by our correspondent the day before yesterday mentioned the intake. Allegedly, there are a greater number of students studying in J J than the sanctioned intake. Do you care to respond to these allegations? Who made these decisions? How much money has been poured into it? And where has that money gone? Do you have the answers to these questions? You have literally trashed a beautiful educational institution in the last 35 years. Your allies had plotted to move J J School near Deonar slaughterhouse. That plot was blown up by the media.

Do you remember?

Especially in the last two years, we have brought so many scandals to light with evidence. What action did you take? You have infused the poison of corruption even in a sacred field like Art Education. And even a world-class institution like the J J School of Art, you have literally brought it down to shambles. For the last 30 to 40 years, we have been literally wailing in this regard, but you have ignored that too. Eventually Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy’s virtue paid off and J J got the De-Novo status. So, it has escaped from your grasp.

The Congress party, during whose tenure began J J’s weathering, has now woken up after joining the opposition parties. But we look at them with the view of ‘Better late than never’. Not one, not two, but after as many as eight to ten MLAs (some of them are ex-ministers too) have asked starred questions in the legislative assembly, are you going to wake up now? This is just the beginning. The cycle of time has now started turning upside down. 

Remember this. Otherwise…………

Photo credit: Geeta Kulkarni

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Satish Naik

Chief Editor 

Chinha Art News

www.chinha.in