Looking back: In the first week of October 1955, I had accompanied Vishwamitra from Lucknow to Allahabad on ten days casual leave from Civil Engineering School Lucknow, for providing necessary help and support in the initial phase, to Civil Engineering School Allahabad in setting up and smooth running of the institution. That was the time, when I was deeply involved in teaching, as also in the organization of games, sports, literary and cultural activities of students and other developmental activities of Civil Engineering School Lucknow. The whole environment was very supportive and homely and I had absolutely no inklings or thoughts of shifting gears, at any time in the near future. A few days after my arrival at Allahabad, the governing body of Civil Engineering School Allahabad took a decision to induct me as the Vice Principal and Head of institution of Civil Engineering School Allahabad. I was not an applicant and I was not consulted. That was the time, when the institution did not have any land or buildings, did not have any teaching staff or students, did not have any bank account or finances and for that matter, any other physical facilities and resources. Everything was to start from scratch. However, the response to an advertisement for admission of students was overwhelming. Moreover, the response to teaching jobs from graduates, post-graduates and professionals was also very heartening. The future appeared to be extremely challenging. Consequently, I requested Civil Engineering Lucknow, to allow me leave from the institution for the rest of the session, ending in June 1956. During this period, Civil Engineering School Allahabad crossed all the initial hurdles, constraints and bottlenecks and the excellent performance of the students in the first year examinations of the board conducted in May 1956 had placed the institution prominently on the technical education map of the state of U.P. Looking to this, the management of Civil Engineering School, Lucknow were very appreciative and supportive about all that had been done at Allahabad and accepted my resignation from the services of the institution.
Admissions for the new session: Ad-hoc board of technical education UP had directed that all admissions to first year of the courses, to be taken up in August 1956 be made on the basis of a written examination. The intake in first year course was 360 with 240 in civil engineering, 60 in mechanical engineering and 60 in electrical engineering. An advertisement was issued, applications were received and the entrance examination was conducted in July 1956 at two centres, which were Allahabad and Meerut. The subjects of examination were English, mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. The course content and level of examination was that of High School. There was one paper for English carrying 100 marks, two papers of mathematics carrying 100 marks each and one paper for Science ( Physics and Chemistry ) carrying 100 marks equally divided between physics and chemistry. Merit list was prepared on the basis of aggregate marks obtained by the candidates in the written examination. Call letters were sent to the candidates in the third week of July 1956 and the admissions were finalized in the first week of August 1956, in order of merit based on the aggregate marks obtained by the candidates in the admission test and their preference for civil, mechanical and electrical engineering courses. The selected candidates were formed into four sections of 60 each for civil engineering and one section of 60 each for mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. Final roll lists were prepared coursewise and sectionwise following the order of merit of the admission test.
The students of the previous batch had proceeded on vacations after their annual examination in May 1956. The results were declared in July 1956 and they were formed into six sections of 60 each for second year of the civil engineering course. The roll lists were prepared in order of merit, based on aggregate marks obtained in the annual examination of first year course conducted by the board. The session commenced simultaneously for first year and second year students in the second week of August 1956.
Behind the scenes: The institutional strength of students had gone up to 360 in first year and 360 in second year. Nine sheds of 1000 sqft each were added to the existing sheds during the vacations in June and July 1956 for providing accommodation for additional classrooms, laboratories and workshops. The institutional workshop, which had done commendable work at the time of opening of the institution in October 1955 was revived and strengthened for the manufacture of furniture and fittings for classrooms, laboratories, workshops, staffrooms and hostels. Orders for the procurement of equipment for laboratories and workshops were finalised. Advertisements for the recruitment of additional staff were issued and selections were made in the first week of August 1956. Due to some hectic but quiet activity during the vacation months, there was some semblance of normal and hasslefree working of the institution, when the doors opened for the new session in the second week of August 1956.
New Session begins: The new session of the institution opened sometime in the middle of August 1956. First year students had the satisfaction of entering the portals of a running institution and were gradually getting infected by the stories of what the students of the previous batch had gone through. The message had gone round that the professionals have to be sufficiently competent in their fields of service and at the same time, they have to be willing, keen and energetic to work in all types of conditions, anywhere and at any hours of the day. The first batch of students of the institution, who were now in the second year, had gone through a rigorous routine of academic and other activities, under all types of limitations and constraints during their first year, seemed to be happy and relaxed and were looking forward for another eventful and challenging year. All students looked to the coming year with hope and expectations, as the doors of class rooms, laboratories and workshops opened and then the days, weeks and months started ticking.
Government recognition: Thomason College of Civil Engineering Roorkee was a unit of the Public Works Department of U.P and bulk of the teaching staff of the college used to be drawn on deputation from the irrigation and buildings and roads branches of the public works departments of the state. When the college became a state university in 1949, it became independent in all financial and academic matters and most of the staff was recruited by the university directly. During this period, the ministry of power of the state government was looking after the administrative and financial affairs of the university. Subsequently, an ad-hoc board of technical education was formed by the state government, with the vice-chancellor of the University of Roorkee as chairman and registrar of the university as secretary. Hafiz Mohammad Ibrabim happened to be the minister of communications and power at that time.
Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim was born at Nagina in Bijnor district of U.P. He completed his BA from Aligarh and LLB from Allahabad and settled down at Allahabad as a lawyer. Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim was very closely associated with Vishwamitra as a lawyer and as a congressmen. Therefore, Vishwamitra planned to make a trip to Lucknow to meet Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim and to request him to make suitable recommendations to the central government for the recognition of Civil Engineering School Allahabad by the Government of India for purposes of financial assistance and recruitment of students to central and state government services.
Our trip to Lucknow: I accompanied Vishwamitra on our trip to Lucknow. Sometimes in the afternoon, we met Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim in his chamber in the council house. He kept listening patiently, as Vishwamitra explained the whole case to him. It seemed that he was in no hurry to let us go. People were coming and going and it seemed to be business as usual. Ultimately, as the evening shadows started knocking the doors, Vishwamitra sought permission to leave. Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim seemed to be totally unconcerned and unruffled, when he asked Vishwamitra, what was the hurry. He added that he had still to take tea and had to provide tea to him and to the person accompanying him, pointing out a finger at me. That made us sit with him for another half an hour. When he rose, he asked us to accompany him. His car was waiting for him in the front porch of the council house. He requested Vishwamitra to sit in the car and thereafter, pushed me into the car and finally he squeezed into the rear seat of the car with us. The car drove us to the residence of Dr Sampurnanand, who was the chief minister of U.P. at that time. The front lawn was packed with IAS officers and Heads of Departments who had been invited by the chief minister for the at-home. Hafiz Mohammad Ibrahim steered us through all the rows of guests and made us sit right in front of Dr Sampurnanand. While Vishwamitra got busy with Dr Sampurnanand, I took leave from him, for some time, to meet some of the senior officers of the irrigation department, with whom I was associated during my earlier tenure in the department.