Panjab University and the information black hole

On 26 February I wrote to Punjab University in the hope of tracking down information about an alumnus of that university. Here's the bloganonymised exchange. I did not need top anonymise the university's responses, as no name was given: they appear in full here.

I am researching an alumnus of PU on behalf of his daughter.

Gurdial Singh xxxx received an MA (1955) and an LL.B (1962), both from Panjab University. His date of birth was 18.04.1932.

He left India for the UK in 1964, and, sadly, died at the age of 34 in 1966.

His daughter is keen to find any information about him that she possibly can, which is why I am writing to you.

Specifically, I wondered if you could give any details of his degrees: class of degree; subject of his MA. As the MA probably required a thesis, I wondered whether a copy of the thesis might be lodged in the university library, and if so, whether it would be possible to obtain a copy. You might even have a record of where his first degree, a BA, was obtained.

I realise that after such a long period of time, this is an odd, and probably hopeless, request, but its purpose is to try to help xxxx find her father, who died when she was still a child. I would be very grateful for any information you might be able to offer, or for a contact who you feel might have such information.

Many thanks

Nothing happened, and I re-sent the mail. Then, this week, I got a reply.

From:

The Registrar,
Panjab University,
Administrative Office,
Dewan Anand Kumar Hall, Chandigarh-160014.


PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH

No.________________/R&S Dated________________


Memo

With reference to your email dated 12.03.16, this is to bring to your kind notice that the information cannot be supplied, as this information pertains to third party.

Now I understand about data protection, and can quite see that the university might want to keep some details out of the public domain. But whether or not the university holds an MA thesis in its library seems an unlikely piece of information to keep secret.

I wrote again.

Dear Registrar

On reflection, your approach may be unduly cautious as well as unhelpful.

Perhaps you would be so kind as to tell me what information you actually have, without telling me what it is.

This would be very useful.

I would be so grateful if you could be a little more accommodating: this is a daughter’s search for her father who died in the UK when she was a child and still living in India.

Any effort you could make in providing information would be not only helpful, but also humane, and I guess that humanity is the business of any university.

Thank you

And here is the reply

Memo

With reference to your email dated 17.03.16, the reply already made through email be treated as final.

Punjab University ranks 7th in India, and 1220 in terms of comparison with universities worldwide.

In terms of helpfulness, Punjab University would be several zillion down the list.

What is the impression given by the replies ? It seems unfortunate that any institution with a mission to teach should be so singularly unhelpful to anyone who wishes to learn. But the replies themselves, undated, unreferenced, unsigned appear to me to be at best discourteous, and at worst arrogantly dismissive.

Maybe I was unlucky in finding some jobsworth who could not be arsed to find any kind of answer that would have involved effort, and who was keen simplt to bat away anything that might involve effort.

I have written again. Watch this space....