Educational institutions suffering from political interference
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Priyanka Saurabh
Contd from last issue
Universities have sometimes seen the appointment of politically affiliated individuals to administrative positions, raising concerns about potential bias in decision-making. If the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor is based on how close he is to the ruling party or its leader, then will it not be meaningless to expect him to bring about educational reforms? Needless to say, appointments should be made based on merit and talent and not based on political preference. Universities produce talents. If talents are neglected due to political ideology, it will have fatal consequences.
This is particularly seen in the social sciences and humanities, where even senior academics fear publishing work that they feel may create problems for them from state authorities. For example, intellectuals like Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Samina Dalwai. Peaceful student protests against government policies are sometimes met with heavy-handed crackdowns, stifling free speech and dissent on campus.
(To be contd)
Contd from last issue
Universities have sometimes seen the appointment of politically affiliated individuals to administrative positions, raising concerns about potential bias in decision-making. If the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor is based on how close he is to the ruling party or its leader, then will it not be meaningless to expect him to bring about educational reforms? Needless to say, appointments should be made based on merit and talent and not based on political preference. Universities produce talents. If talents are neglected due to political ideology, it will have fatal consequences.
This is particularly seen in the social sciences and humanities, where even senior academics fear publishing work that they feel may create problems for them from state authorities. For example, intellectuals like Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Samina Dalwai. Peaceful student protests against government policies are sometimes met with heavy-handed crackdowns, stifling free speech and dissent on campus.
(To be contd)