Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, RGPV, had to be built from nothing. No existing campus, no inherited faculty culture, no established research programs, and constrained resources throughout. Prof. P.B. Sharma was at the centre of that construction: raising a full technological university for Madhya Pradesh against every constraint of fiscal and physical resources.
This is not institutional history at a distance. Sharma's account moves as a narrative of decisions under real pressure: how to attract faculty and inspire them before the institution has a reputation to offer, how to bring industry expertise into an academic structure that does not yet fully exist, how to build a culture of research excellence before the buildings are complete. What emerges is a portrait of what institutional leadership actually demands when there is no safety net and everything is at stake.
Former AICTE Chairman and IIT Madras Director Prof. R. Natarajan describes RGPV's establishment as having paved the way for reforming technical education nationally. Former Vice Chancellor Prof. Bharat Chhaparwal identifies in Sharma's approach a model for speed leadership under constraint. For anyone in higher education administration or involved in building something from the ground up, this account of RGPV's early years is both record and resource.
The story of making a technological university is placed before the readers to have the glimpses of the thrill and excitement of greeting the challenges of raising a technological university from ground zero, defying all constraints of fiscal and physical resources, yet, sparing no effort to nurture academic and research excellence. The innovative and enterprising spirit coupled with breakthrough leadership and inspired minds of faculty and industry experts truly worked wonders in accomplishing the vision of a technological university of the third millennium. The narration is rhythmic and makes an interesting read with excitement to capture the moments of pride as well as to identify the winning strategies for steering a university of technology to eminence and make Mother India proud of its technical education. "The establishment of RGPV has paved the way for Rejuvenating Technical Education in the New Millennium and provided the agenda for major reforms to align technical education to national and global needs. I had the privilege to witness its establishment and contribute to its vision." -Prof. R Natarajan, FNAE, Former Chairman, AICTE and Former Director, IIT Madras "The book shall be a great inspiration to seekers of higher education to innovate and excel. It would also inspire the university leadership to work for breakthroughs with speed leadership qualities that Prof Sharma so aptly demonstrated in the raising of the Technological University of MP." -Prof. (Dr.) Bharat Chhaparwal, Former Vice Chancellor, DAVV Indore
