Kalabhavan Alumni Chip in with their bit

This article was published in the Baroda Times Supplement of Times of India on 13th October 1998 while I was a Visiting Faculty Member at the Department of Architecture, MSU.
What can an alumni association possibly do for its alma mater? The Kalabhavan Architects Alumni Foundation of Baroda have decided to donate and construct an entire campus of Buildings for the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Technology and Engineering, M. S. University, Baroda. In the last stages of construction, the first building abutting the D. N. Hall is awaiting inauguration in November ’98 at the hands of the UGC Chairman.


“KAAF, Kalabhavan Architects Alumni Foundation is a voluntary organization established in 1991. Late Prof. Achwal, Prof. Suryakant Patel, Late Prof. Chhadua and Prof. S.V. Deshpande visualized the necessity for such an organization in 1970. Our objectives are to assist the Department of Architecture to evolve into a Faculty in the M.S.University of Baroda. Simultaneously, the effort is to provide relevantly designed built-environment for architectural education. As an added advantage, such a place would help create a forum for interaction between practicing architects, students and the allied profession.” Says Architect Dhirubhai Patel, an eminent professional and President of the Alumni foundation. Architect Arun Shah, Secretary, KAAF said, “Selfless and dynamic architect-members have made tremendous efforts since 1991. After numerous meetings and representations with M.S.University Authority, the 2.8 Acres of land near the D. N. Hall & the Hall itself in Pratapgunj was allotted to us for the new building for the Department of Architecture. Prof. Rama Reddy, who was the Chairman of U.G.C., Delhi, laid the foundation stone in 1992. He was very appreciative of the Alumni getting together to help its Alma Mater. This is a unique happening in the history of academic world in India.”

For a project, which would cost at least a crore, the KAAF is confident of realising the amount. “After the building is occupied, we are expecting greater participation from our members in completing this venture. The KAAF member-architects and the fraternity of builders have given ample monetary contributions to this endeavor. In addition, the foundation has been organizing exhibitions on building materials every year. A respectable amount was deposited with the University towards building fund. The first phase is progressing as planned. By now, the work is almost complete.” Says Dhirubhai.

Building for their own community of professionals the KAAF have chosen a committee of architects headed by A. M. Shirgaokar to evolve the design. Mrs. Padma Ramchandran, then Vice Chancellor of the M. S. University of Baroda, performed the “Bhoomi Pooja” on 7 March 1996.

Speaking about his contribution to the KAAF, Shirgaokar says, "Designing with a team of architects of KAAF, the prime challenge was to achieve a level of completeness at every phase. Designed as raised plinths connecting to terraces and inter-locked courtyards, pedestrian movement through the design is the backbone on which the diverse buildings are organized. The building itself should be an educational aid for the students. We have exploited all Construction orders - different types of masonry walls, arches, several spanning elements.

The design does not disturb the ambience created by the old building, which was a hostel block. I believe the students of architecture should get an environment with a distinctive character because this reflects in their work."

Complementing the effort made by the KAAF, Vijay Matai, Reader, Department of Architecture and a practicing Architect says, “Leading Architects of the city have gone out of the way in assisting the KAAF in every way possible. We are absolutely overwhelmed by this unique gesture.”

Home Decoration enters adult education stream

This article was published in the Baroda Times Supplement, Times of India on 6th October 1998. The evening course mentioned here was actually developed by me specifically for the Adult Education Faculty in MSU, Baroda.

Adult Education or the continuing education courses have been running for over two decades in Baroda. Initially offered short-term courses for home decoration it was usually targeted at housewives. It was based on a demand from the housewives of higher middle class who often had extra time on their hands and wanted to do something fruitful in their spare time. The various faculties would come forward with courses and the centre would run it on their behalf in the summer. After some time, it was thought that the course could become a para professional course, which would aid the skilled workers and the spouses of professional Interior Designers in assisting them. This sort of course involved the professionals from the field in an active manner.


The architecture department has come up with a proposal for two long term courses and 10 short term courses. The two long-term courses of One year and six month duration have commenced since the third week of July.

There are two important points that distinguish these courses from the professional level Interior Design courses. One is that they are for the mass audience and therefore no aptitude test is conducted prior to admission of the students into the course. These courses are geared towards an appreciation of Interior Design as a professional discipline and appreciate its many facets.

“This was the main idea behind formulating this course for the lay public. People appreciate good music and art so why shouldn’t they become conscious about the spaces they live in? There are many aspects of Design, which are less known to the common man. These courses would definitely broaden their horizons.” Says Prof. Navangul, The Head of the Department for Architecture. “We really appreciate the efforts made by the Adult Education centre towards educating people who are interested in various disciplines. So we took it upon ourselves to formulate the courses, with the help of a visiting faculty member within the Department of Architecture, and are conducting classes in the Faculty of Technology. Along with an artist we have young interior designers who are extremely enthusiastic about teaching this course.”

Ms. Hemaben Patel, the Ex HOD of School of Interior Design at Vallabhvidyanagar feels that, “Such courses fundamentally help individuals to appreciate the spaces and generates an awareness about deign as a whole. It does not, however, mean that they would be able to design and develop spaces as a profesional designer would. But they would definitely begin to appreciate spaces and what makes them interesting and appealing to the human mind. Such courses, in the long run, can definitely create an awareness among the lay public about the art involved in creating spaces. Professionals related to the field of Interior Design spend their entire lives in making dreams come true with their skill and inventiveness”

Some professionals are however doubtful and have a note of caution.

Doctors and Professionalism

For the past month, one would see the striking junior doctors on the road near the SSG hospital. Passers by would be mute spectators to the unfolding drama that the junior doctors put up. The issue was stipend and a corresponding raise. On Sunday, patients heaved a sigh of relief with the triumphant junior doctors returning with a 56% raise in their stipends.


Let us for a moment pause and examine the notions behind paying stipends to students. Most professions such as Law, Accountancy and Architecture require students to work as apprentices before they actually start their practice. The stipend encourages students to continue their studies and is a notional acknowledgment of their efforts towards the professions. Stipends are usually never sufficient for a person to subsist on – at least in India. Most professionals in India such as Architects, Chartered Accountants, Lawyers accept trainees and enable them to learn the ropes of the profession under their watchful eyes. The stipend is often negligible and very often not paid at all. Trainees work long, strenuous hours under these professionals as apprentices learning the tricks of the trade and about the profession. Junior Doctors work towards their post graduation degree and in such a situation one fails to see the logic behind the strike – that too for a raise in stipends.

Prasad Telang, a third year architecture student from Vallabhvidyanagar, commutes daily from his home in Nadiad to an architect’s office in Baroda for his training. “The training period enables us to see the professional world from very close quarters. Many things are interpreted very differently in the profession than in academics. It is in our interest to learn these aspects so that they would be useful to us when we start our practice.” Talking about the recent strike of the junior Doctors, he says, “I understand that the word stipend means a voluntary payment by the professionals to the trainees which is just a token amount. At the moment, I get an amount which is less than four figures! I don’t grudge the doctors their raise but are they going to save more lives because of their raise?” Students of law and accountancy also go through similar plights in their respective careers.

It is often argued, and rightly too, that Medicine is the noblest profession in the world. Doctors are lifesavers but it takes all sorts of professionals to make the world go around.

It was a deep feeling of anguish when these noble professionals brandished the weapon of a strike for the sake of a raise in stipends! It was sheer blackmail and violence of sorts. After fifty years of independence, we have used a non violent method for an extremely debatable issue. Imagine doctors’ shying away from their duties because they thought their stipend was not enough! But, the silver lining is very apparent. We are now very sure about the commitments of these professionals and little is left to the imagination as to their professional activities of the future.

Surely, we all agree that the compensation the doctors receive in turn for their superhuman efforts was measly. Nevertheless, there are two arguments that one could put forward as a professional. One, there are other professionals who receive even less and secondly, the strike was not the means to the end.



Published in the Baroda Times, October 13, 1998