THE TRIAL BY FIRE : MEMOIRS OF A COLLEGE PRINCIPAL

By G. Ramachandram

This autobiography is a rare story of the courage and the conviction of a person holding a position of power and authority, taking on the high and the mighty, refusing to buckle under pressure and do what is unethical and illegal, risking his career time and again. The author had a journey in defiance-fighting relentlessly against the corrupt system. During his two decades long tenure, he had to quite often face ‘the trials by fire’ in order to secure his college with a solid foundation of perennial values, transparency and commitment to truth. The autobiography is in four parts. Part I- Blissful ignorance- narrates the life of a rustic village boy and how he transformed. Part II- Awakening- is about the author’s struggle to find meaning and purpose for existence and becoming a teacher by accident. Part III- Rise- is regarding his appointment as the Principal, the conspiracy to scuttle the appointment and his legal battles. Part IV-Turbulence- is about his uninterrupted nerve-racking duel with multiple authorities to reinstate the truth and justice and protect the institution of Principal. And by taking a high moral ground and displaying mental toughness, he weathered a turbulent period of calculated verbal assaults aimed at making him dispirited and crippled. This is the first time that such an autobiography is penned by the Head of any educational institution, giving a gripping account of his torrid times. The book makes an interesting and inspirational reading. It is rich, engaging and very truthful. The heads of educational institutions, particularly the future generation of academic administrators will profit by the book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt Ltd
• Release date: Mar 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9789352013418

G. Ramachandram

DR. G. RAMACHANDRAM, moulded in Nehruvian and the Gandhian ideals and values, is a man of deep convictions and impeccable personal integrity. He holds a first-class Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Bombay. A student of Jawaharlal Nehru, he was awarded a PhD by the University of Bombay for his thesis: ‘Jawaharlal Nehru: His contribution to world peace’. It was the first time that any scholar undertook a full-fledged research on Pandit Nehru, covering the entire period of his Prime Ministership, for a comprehensive assessment of his impact on the world. His research work was published as a book, ‘Nehru and World Peace’. He also has to his credit the book, ‘Quaid-e-Azam: Muhammad Ali Jinnah‘- a translation of biographical novel ‘Pratinayak’, based on the life of the founder of Pakistan.A Professor of Political Science, he has a distinguished teaching career spanning over three decades. He had been a Visiting Professor for thirteen years at the All India Institute of Local Self-Government, Mumbai, where he delivered lectures on ‘Public Administration’ to the trainee officers from Municipal Bodies.He has to his credit 185 research papers and articles published in leading journals and newspapers. He has participated in around 150 states, national and international seminars and conferencesand presented papers on issues ranging from academic, to administrative to socio-economic and political.As the first Principal of the Kandivali Education Society’s Shroff College, Mumbai– a State aided ‘A’ Grade Institution affiliated to the University of Mumbai, for eighteen long years, he laid its ethical foundation, nurtured and guided the College with far-sighted vision, exceptional courage and integrity and turned it into a first-rate institution in the city. He is an expert on College administration and campus discipline, a resource person for the Executive Development Programme (EDP) for College Principals.He has been the Founder Secretary, Association of Indian College Principals-- the first registered national organization of its kind in India. He was elected unopposed as its President for a term of three years. Presently, he is the Convener of its Board of Trustees.He can be contacted at: [e-mail]