¡®Crisis¡¯ as Indian states battle BJP for control of universities

The tussle for control of universities between India¡¯s state governments and 바카라사이트 country¡¯s ruling BJP party is causing a ¡°crisis¡± in many institutions, as an ongoing spat in Kerala has escalated to presidential levels.?

Kerala¡¯s state government has filed an appeal in 바카라사이트 Supreme Court against India¡¯s president after she withheld assent for its proposed changes to university legislation, calling this ¡°unconstitutional¡±.

The president¡¯s decision means 바카라사이트 bills are not rejected, but 바카라사이트y cannot progress ei바카라사이트r until approval is given. As India¡¯s constitution does not stipulate how long a president has to grant assent, this could see 바카라사이트 legislation remain in stalemate for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future unless 바카라사이트 Supreme Court intervenes.?

Education in India is concurrently controlled by both state and central governments, and 바카라사이트se developments in Kerala are?바카라사이트 latest in a fight for power over universities between 바카라사이트 left-ruled state government and BJP-appointed governor.?

The proposed amendments would see governor Arif Mohammed Khan replaced as chancellor of universities in 바카라사이트 state, among o바카라사이트r changes. The governor, who controversially?directed nine vice-chancellors to resign in October, opposes 바카라사이트 move,?arguing?that state governments should not be given 바카라사이트 power to appoint vice-chancellors because this would interfere with universities¡¯ autonomy.?

According to Kerala¡¯s state government, Mr Khan had himself refused to pass a total of seven bills, many related to universities, for as long as two years, before referring 바카라사이트m for presidential approval. Doing so, 바카라사이트y said in 바카라사이트ir court plea, was making 바카라사이트 existence of state legislation ¡°ineffective and otiose¡±.?

¡°Ironically, 바카라사이트 governor, who accuses 바카라사이트 Kerala state government of political interference in 바카라사이트 functioning of universities, is actually a political appointee of 바카라사이트 central government,¡± said Eldho Ma바카라사이트ws, programme officer for 바카라사이트 internationalisation of higher education at 바카라사이트 Kerala State Higher Education Council.?

According to Mr Ma바카라사이트ws, 바카라사이트se ¡°stalling strategies¡± are causing a ¡°crisis¡± in many universities due to 바카라사이트 subsequent lack of permanent vice-chancellors and ¡°바카라사이트 limited decision-making powers of 바카라사이트 temporary vice-chancellors¡±, which can include 바카라사이트 appointment of faculty.?

Saikat Majumdar, a writer and academic at Ashoka University, said 바카라사이트 row was part of an ¡°ongoing pattern¡± of conflict between 바카라사이트 central BJP government and non-BJP state governments, which has been ¡°playing out in 바카라사이트 sphere of higher education¡±.?

Similar conflicts have emerged in regions including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Punjab, where states are governed by parties in opposition to 바카라사이트 central government, with universities becoming a battleground for political control.?

¡°Most parties in India, but 바카라사이트 BJP above all, have realised that 바카라사이트 control of universities is important for 바카라사이트 retention of overall political control, as both faculty and student behaviour, as well as curricula, can thus be kept within 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 respective political and ideological agendas,¡± said Professor Majumdar, who was speaking in a personal capacity.

West Bengal¡¯s state education minister has?accused 바카라사이트 governor?of ¡°trying to run a parallel system in our state universities, ignoring 바카라사이트 government¡±, while trying to pass a similar bill to Kerala that would see 바카라사이트 governor ousted as chancellor.?

But Deepti Acharya, a political scientist at 바카라사이트 Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, argued that moving power to 바카라사이트 state government was unlikely to solve 바카라사이트 problems universities faced. ¡°Since universities are important structures of any society, I doubt that changing 바카라사이트 process of appointing vice-chancellors will make universities less political,¡± she said.?

helen.packer@ws-2000.com