From being a student at the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University to becoming its first woman registrar, Kuchipudi dance exponent Alekhya Punjala has come a long way with sheer hard work and dedication.
Notably, this is the first time that a woman has been given this important responsibility, and that too from a fine arts background. “It was always people from other departments like journalism or language studies who were given such a portfolio. I want to put an end to the presumption that an artist can’t be a good administrator. We have that soft touch and have empathy towards employees.
Having been in the university for such a long time, almost 27 years, I know all of them. I take it as a seat of responsibility and not as a seat of power,” says Alekhya.
When asked how did she come to be the chosen one, she says, “The talks were going on since a few years. But then the state bifurcation happened which halted the process. But finally, the interview process started after the new vice chancellor joined and then, as it goes, is history.” Alekhya says that she would love to bring the school of fine arts to the forefront during her time in office. “The university has always been famous as the hub of language studies but I want to get the university recognised as the hub of language and fine arts together.
Students come from various backgrounds and that’s the specialty. I want to have a great exchange programme for them, where they will have the opportunity to grow and learn,” says the brand new registrar.
In fact, Alekhya is already working towards it. “The time frame is not limited for a registrar. So whatever time I have, I am working towards making the university a world-class institute,” she concludes.
