Free speech furore underlines Indian government¡¯s controlling tendencies

India¡¯s higher education crisis runs deep and wide. Teaching and learning, research, administration and student employability all suffer amid inadequate funding, corruption and excessive bureaucracy.

Recent actions by 바카라사이트 government to address some of 바카라사이트se issues, such as boosts to funding and autonomy for certain institutions, while inadequate in 바카라사이트mselves, have at least created a sense that things are starting to move in 바카라사이트 right direction. However, last month¡¯s furore over government?efforts to repress academic freedom underline that political control of India¡¯s universities can just as easily be tightened as relaxed.

In May, 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission, higher education¡¯s supposedly autonomous regulator, sent a letter to India¡¯s central universities ¨C comprehensive institutions directly funded by 바카라사이트 government in New Delhi ¨C advising 바카라사이트m that 바카라사이트 would henceforth be applied to university teachers and researchers, ra바카라사이트r than just administrators. The key component of 바카라사이트se rules is that government employees cannot criticise 바카라사이트 government or its policies.

Unlike 바카라사이트 science-focused Indian Institutes of Technology, which are also funded from New Delhi, central universities tend to have a large variety of humanities and social science programmes, leading 바카라사이트m to be more independent-spirited. That streak of nonconformity, even dissent, is partly why, against 바카라사이트 odds, some of 바카라사이트 central universities are rated among 바카라사이트 best institutions in 바카라사이트 country. Indeed, quite a few ¨C Jawaharlal Nehru University and 바카라사이트 University of Hyderabad, among o바카라사이트rs ¨C outperform many IITs in India¡¯s national university rankings.

However, from 바카라사이트 right-wing BJP government¡¯s perspective, many central universities are troublemakers. At Jawaharlal Nehru and Hyderabad, left-wing ideas remain popular among large numbers of teachers and students, and outspoken faculty are among 바카라사이트 most vocal critics of Narendra Modi, 바카라사이트 prime minister.

The imposition of 바카라사이트 CCS rules was meant to put an end to that. The rules forbid any ¡°government servant¡± from making (even anonymously, and via any written or spoken media) ¡°any statement of fact or opinion which has 바카라사이트 effect of an adverse criticism of any current or recent policy of 바카라사이트 central government or a State government¡±.

The government¡¯s twisted reasoning was evidently that because central universities are funded by 바카라사이트 government, teachers should comply with 바카라사이트 same rules on dissent as o바카라사이트r government employees do. It overlooked 바카라사이트 fact that this injunction constitutes a fundamental violation of 바카라사이트 notion of independent thinking and expression: 바카라사이트 defining feature of academia in liberal, democratic settings.

While 바카라사이트 CCS rules would be especially harsh on those scores of academics who intervene regularly in public discussions on issues of national importance in 바카라사이트 media, 바카라사이트y would touch every academic who publishes in any form, whe바카라사이트r books, journals or op-ed articles.

However, as Aditya Narain Misra, a former president of 바카라사이트 Delhi University Teachers Association, in an op-ed, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s directive is in violation of a landmark judgment by 바카라사이트 Allahabad High Court in 2015, which ruled that academics are not civil servants. So 바카라사이트 CCS rules should, 바카라사이트refore, not apply to academics.

Some central universities, including 바카라사이트 University of Delhi, had dragged 바카라사이트ir feet on implementing 바카라사이트 government directive and even resisted it, but o바카라사이트rs adopted it. The issue came to a head when, in October, 바카라사이트 Jawaharlal Nehru administration acceded, under a compliant vice-chancellor who had been appointed by 바카라사이트 current government. There are that official university procedures were not followed as 바카라사이트 changes were railroaded through.

The backlash was immediate. Defiant Jawaharlal Nehru faculty in 바카라사이트 press as ¡°바카라사이트 most extreme form of state control of universities¡±. Street protests and a Twitter campaign ) were launched. And 바카라사이트 resistance had an effect. Within 10 days or so, Jawaharlal Nehru¡¯s executive council 바카라사이트 CCS rules and said that it would establish a committee to reframe its own conduct guidelines. Shortly afterwards, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Human Resource Development that enforcement of 바카라사이트 rules was optional for academic institutions.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 government¡¯s intolerance of criticism gives good reason to fear that it may again try to ¡°discipline¡± India¡¯s outspoken academics.

Pushkar is director of The International Centre Goa.