Toiling hard to spend UGC grant, the university has organised a lecture by the spiritual leader in the first week of March

OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore The Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya ( DAVV) that is in hurry to spend UGC grant meant for seminars and lectures has invited spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to the varsity for giving discourse on 'Secrets of Success'. The noted spiritual leader has reportedly accepted the varsitys invitation for discourse that would enlighten the university officers and students on the theme.

'During his visit to the city in the first week of March, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would come to the UTD campus for delivering the lecture which would be attended by university, IIT and IIM Indore students and teachers,'said a varsity officer.

He stated that the discourse is organized as apart of the universitys series of seminars and lectures.

It is to be noted that the UGC allocated Rs 35 lakh to the DAVV for conducting seminars/ workshops/ symposium under merged scheme grant in April.

Till mid- December, the DAVV kept the grant unutilized.

It was only when the officers feared losing the grant, they directed the each teaching departments to organize seminars and lectures for utilization of funds before March 31 anyhow.

Presently, six seminars and lectures are lined up even as teaching departments are busying in scheduling many more.

Apart from funds for the seminars, the DAVV also has to spend by March end about Rs 6 crore of total Rs 15.95 crore sanctioned by the UGC under XI Development Plan to the DAVV. For a university that utilized Rs 10 crore grant in last four years and 11 months, spending Rs 6 crore in a month is a Herculean task.