Patna: Newly appointed vice-chancellor of Patna University (PU), Ajay Kumar Singh, on Thursday said his top priorities are restoring the university’s past glory, fostering a healthy atmosphere for research and innovation, and streamlining the academic calendar.
Singh, who took charge as the 55th vice-chancellor of the 107-year-old university, emphasized the importance of academics in defining a university’s reputation.
“PU was one of the top universities in the country three to four decades ago, but its academic standards have declined significantly. My first priority will be to restore the university’s former academic glory,” he told this newspaper.
Listing his priorities, Singh said he aims to regularize the university’s academic calendar promptly.
“All ongoing admissions to the UG and PG programmes will be completed as scheduled, and academic activities will start without delay. We will ensure courses are completed on time by holding regular classes and semester exams as scheduled. Examination results will be published to prevent student suffering due to delays,” he said.
Having previously served as the pro-VC of PU, Singh stressed the importance of creating a robust research and innovation environment.
“The quality of higher education cannot improve without genuine research. All university research laboratories will be equipped with modern equipment and facilities for faculty and students. Teachers will be encouraged to submit new research proposals to funding agencies like UGC, DST, DBT, and ICSSR,” he said.
Singh added the university, accredited with a B+ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 2019, will seek re-accreditation this year.
“We aim to achieve a good grade in the second cycle of NAAC accreditation by addressing shortcomings and plugging loopholes identified in the first cycle,” he said.

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