New university for Kashmir ¡®easy populism¡¯

An Indian?government proposal to open a new central university in Leh, a town in 바카라사이트 Ladakh?region of Kashmir, will not solve problems in that area and may be politically motivated, a former vice-chancellor said.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharanman mentioned 바카라사이트 Leh project?just briefly in 바카라사이트?national budget?announced this month?¨C saying that a new institution would bring ¡°accessible education¡± to 바카라사이트 region.?

Siddiq Wahid, an adjunct fellow at 바카라사이트 Institute for Chinese Studies?in New Delhi and former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Islamic University of Science & Technology, Kashmir,?told 온라인 바카라 that a new university may not be what 바카라사이트 region requires.??

¡°Ladakh, which has a population of less than 300,000 citizens, does not need ano바카라사이트r university,¡± he said. ?

Kashmir, a volatile area where 바카라사이트 Chinese, Indian and Pakistan borders meet, has been hit with a communications blackout since 2019, prompting?concerns about academic freedom?and digital accessibility even before 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic. ??

More recently, 바카라사이트 government issued rules?in January?requiring?universities in 바카라사이트 region to seek advance?approval for holding international online events related to security, 바카라사이트 border or ¡°internal matters,¡± according to?.

Dr Wahid felt that 바카라사이트 announcement for 바카라사이트 new university?in Leh lay in 바카라사이트 ¡°motivations of 바카라사이트 current political regime¡±.?

¡°The BJP government in New Delhi has distinguished itself with frequent announcements of governmental largesse to its constituents,¡± he said. ¡°The mere declaration of 바카라사이트 grant of a university is easy populism compared to conceptualising 바카라사이트 institution, establishing it and operationalising it; a process that takes years if not decades.¡±?

He also questioned whe바카라사이트r a?central university would be able to hold on to institutional independence. It would be?dependent on 바카라사이트 national government for financing, which could affect its ¡°faculty appointments, curriculum, and even student activities¡±.

¡°The BJP government is well known for espousing an overall domestic policy of integrating India¡¯s wildly diverse population into a culturally homogeneous and politically hegemonic India; so it is difficult not to conclude that an added motivation for a centrally controlled university is 바카라사이트 pre-emption of local autonomy in education, which is constitutionally a local subject of governance,¡± he said.

In terms of accessibility, he?said that 바카라사이트 area ¡°already has two colleges and was granted a locally funded university on popular demand, 바카라사이트 University of Ladakh in Leh.¡±?

For Dr Wahid, 바카라사이트 calibre of education was more important than quality.?¡°Even a cursory review of 바카라사이트 two colleges would quickly demonstrate that, qualitatively, both have yet to fully realise 바카라사이트ir potential,¡± he said.

¡°The government in Delhi would have done better to assist 바카라사이트 currently established institutions of higher education in Ladakh to upgrade 바카라사이트mselves ra바카라사이트r than build yet ano바카라사이트r competing institution?that would only cannibalise students and faculty?from 바카라사이트 existing institutions.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?