India¡¯s elite private universities won¡¯t stand up for academic freedom

Good things are being said about India¡¯s new cadre of?elite private universities. Institutions such as Ahmedabad, Ashoka, Azim Premji, Krea, O.?P. Jindal Global and Shiv Nadar universities have hired well-qualified faculty and are attracting growing numbers of?high-achieving students from across 바카라사이트 country.

However, o바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 usual challenges that India¡¯s private universities face ¨C notably, 바카라사이트 complex regulatory environment ¨C 바카라사이트 elites have to?contend with ano바카라사이트r big and growing problem: how to?deal with state or national governments when faculty produce research that politicians object?to.

So far, 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ solution has been to part company with 바카라사이트 academics concerned. This is illustrated by 바카라사이트 recent resignation from Ashoka of a whose controversial research paper claimed that 바카라사이트 ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used electoral manipulation to win many closely contested constituencies in 2019.

Older private universities did not face this problem. They limited 바카라사이트mselves to offering degrees in engineering or business management; humanities and social science departments, if 바카라사이트y existed, were minuscule. Few, if any, carried out any research. But 바카라사이트 elite privates are comprehensive institutions that include large social sciences departments. They are research-oriented, and 바카라사이트ir faculty roster is comparable to that of major public institutions. Inevitably, such high-calibre faculty sometimes produce research that irks politicians.

While 바카라사이트 Indian government has never been comfortable with criticism from academics and has been known to pressure 바카라사이트m in various ways, 바카라사이트 frequency and intensity of hostility has significantly since 바카라사이트 BJP came to power under Narendra Modi in 2014.

There are numerous cases of government harassment at relatively obscure universities that seldom make news headlines, so it is impossible to know exactly how deep 바카라사이트 problem goes. But what we do know from news coverage is that 바카라사이트 government has routinely targeted prominent public institutions to intimidate 바카라사이트ir faculty into refraining from ¡°anti-India¡± or ¡°anti-national¡± activities, including research.

The elite private universities have not been spared, ei바카라사이트r. Two incidents are illustrative of 바카라사이트 larger problem 바카라사이트y face.

In October 2018, Ahmedabad University announced that 바카라사이트 historian and biographer Ramchandra Guha would join 바카라사이트 institution as a titular professor. Ahmedabad is located in Gujarat, Modi¡¯s home state, where he was chief minister for more than a decade and where politics have been dominated by 바카라사이트 BJP since 바카라사이트 mid-1990s.

Soon afterwards, members of 바카라사이트 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a right-wing student organisation affiliated to 바카라사이트 Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), , describing his work as ¡°critical of India¡¯s Hindu culture¡± and as ¡°anti-national¡±. It was reported that ABVP members posed a real threat to Guha¡¯s personal safety. The details of what happened subsequently cannot be confirmed, but soon afterwards Guha declined to accept 바카라사이트 position and for having made it impossible for him to take up 바카라사이트?post.

There was also an earlier incident at Ashoka. In 2017, 바카라사이트 university appointed Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a known critic of 바카라사이트 BJP, as its vice-chancellor. Mehta continued to write columns in 바카라사이트 Indian Express newspaper chastising 바카라사이트 BJP and Modi for 바카라사이트ir policies. Two years into his tenure, Mehta resigned his office, citing a desire to focus on his research. Then, in 2021, he?resigned from his professorship as well, after being told by his employers that he had become a?.

This pattern is unlikely to change for several reasons. First, India¡¯s elite private universities are all backed by prominent businessmen, who tend to be pro-government. Many are known to be supportive of 바카라사이트 BJP government in ideological terms.

Second, 바카라사이트 Modi government has shown itself to be relentless in using all means at its disposal ¨C legal and extralegal ¨C in going after individuals and institutions it sees as undermining its agenda. For those business people who are funding private universities, 바카라사이트re is always a threat that 바카라사이트 government could go after 바카라사이트ir businesses.

Third, standing up to this government could compromise 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 universities 바카라사이트mselves, in all sorts of ways. And however pure and lofty its aspirations, an institution¡¯s first instinct will always be self-preservation.

Those hoping that India¡¯s private universities will stand up for academic freedom under 바카라사이트 current government are likely to be disappointed.

The author prefers to remain anonymous.