Pof P C Mathur: An eminent Thinker Researcher and a Teacher

 Professor Deepak Bhatnagar  [ retd] Dept of Public Administration. Born June 1956

Associate Professor -1992  Associate Professor -1992 Professor -2009 [ retrospectively from 2004] Teaching experience of about 38 years. Acted as a supervisor for more than 30 students who had pursued their Ph.D course with me About 50 students wrote their M.Phil course with me. 

Classes taught M.Phil course for Public Administration. M.A. [Public Administration]. BA [Hons] Public Administration. BA [Pass course] Public Administration, 

Prof Deepak Bhatnagar  superannuated as Professor and Director of Social Sciences Research Centre. Social Sciences Block University of Rajasthan,  Jaipur 

Prof Deepak Bhatnagar lives in Jaipur his home city. 

contact details: email dr.dpk.bhatnagar@gmail.com  Mobile 8949271578/941616967

                                                             Prof PC Mathur - A Tribute 

Prof.Prakash Chand Mathur, popularly known as PC Saheb, was an internationally acclaimed Indian scholar in Political Science and Public Administration. However, in reality, he was not tied to a particular discipline but was an academic doyen who had crafted several articles in varying fields from the arena of social sciences. His reach and comfort in diverse areas made him the darling of visiting Indian and foreign scholars to his alma mater: the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

PC Saheb belonged to an illustrious family of IAS, IPS and IRS.  He was married to Shashi who was popular as Bhabhi ji who supported him in every way possible. Their daughter Sfoorti is a budding designer.

Hence, he was the darling of elites who held him in the highest esteem as a visionary educationist, researcher and above all a great teacher of public administration and political science. His name and fame had no geographical boundaries. In him, the teaching fraternity saw a beacon knowledge related to different topical themes/topics.

Hence, in PC Saheb his contemporaries and researchers and students saw the possibility of missing links of knowledge on topical issues. By any parameter, he would be acknowledged as the last pole of pertinent information.

Prof.Mathur, a disciple of doyens from the Indian educational arena like Prof.M.V.Mathur, Prof.S.P.Verma, Prof.Iqubal Narain and many others. Prof.Mathur was popularly known amongst his teachers and friends just as: Prakash. This showed his gripping personality amongst his friends and followers including myself. He was always held in the highest esteem and for ordinary folk from the Campus; it was an honour to be seen in his company. He was popularly known amongst his contemporaries as: 'a moving encyclopaedia'. Such was the treasure of knowledge he possessed that he was made to sit amongst the doyens in any academic treat held in the Jaipur city. He always reflected new and standing out ideas in any academic get-together, suggesting his command of various contemporary themes. His ideas used to reverberate amongst his fellow seminarists and other participants well beyond the sunset if the academic venture where his narration had taken place. Such was the depth, coherence, relevance, pertinence and significance of his expositions that other participants used to mull it for several days.

Prof.Mathur was the only individual on campus who was savoured by his contemporaries, his friends, research scholars and students for his affableness if the intended meet included academic pursuit from diverse fields. He was popular amongst the galaxy of experts because of his deep insight in fields as diverse as philosophy, sociology, and economics besides political science and public administration his real fort in his academic pursuits. Prof.Mathur was credited as a giant in the academic arena including pure sciences which indirectly reflected in social sciences with special reference to political science.

Prof.Mathur was a friend, philosopher and guide to me all through my career, including my endeavour to scribble a doctoral dissertation on a theme from virtually an un-researched area: social security measures of India. Although India passed an array of social welfare legislations, the research and evaluation of these measures were yet to gather steam. Prof.Mathur, at the first go, concurred with my submission that research on the prime social security legislation of India: the "Employees State Insurance Scheme", of India would constitute an original piece of research, as is desired from any scholar itching for a doctoral degree. Prof.Mathur assured me of all possible help at his level. What is noteworthy is that an internationally acclaimed scholar amongst many from the 'rural development sphere' was my sole consultant on the social security acts constituting the well-fare umbrella for the industrial workers in the organized sector in India.

Prof.Mathur, precisely, was the prime consultant for the scholars from the social sciences domain at the University of Rajasthan. This sentence is enough to indicate the fact that Prof.Mathur was the prime source of information and guidance on the themes falling in the arena of social sciences; no matter what the cardinal issue involved in the intended doctoral research. Let me hurriedly also add that, he had a rare quality of suggesting the core and supplementary readings related to the theme. Furthermore, a few including me were lucky who were loaned books from his personal collection as well.

 Precisely, he was the root for all the information, guidance and supervision for any and every individual engaged in research on topical issues being pursued by researchers from a slew of departments falling in broadly classified 'social sciences category. Hence, Prof.Mathur has become an "immortal soul" for many colleagues in the field of social sciences. In fact. his presence is felt every day by his juniors and contemporaries who have served the University during the era PC dominated reading writing and discussion or even remotely related themes or issues mainly from the social sciences field.

PC Mathur was a regular visitor to the Centre for Research for guidance and attending various academic meets like Special lectures Seminars and Conferences 

I feel exceptionally lucky to have been given a chance to share my emotional and professional memories pertaining to Prof PC Mathur Saheb. His persona would ever be dominating our thinking and analysis even after his departure to be subsumed in the Almighty. 

He is being remembered with great reverence by all those who had a chance to meet him on or off the Campus.

                                                                 PC Mathur at Work

PC picked up the use of computers rather quickly and typed all his reports on computers 

 Newspapers were part of his daily diet and he read everything that was worthy of his attention