Dear Editor,
It is disturbing news that HRD Minister Samriti Irani is meddling with the affairs of universities of the country. Previously she was roped in such affairs in University of Hyderabad, where a PhD student Rohith Chakravarti Vemula committed suicide. The recent such attempt of the said minister, was strongly criticised by the Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University, professor Rattan Lal Hanglu, accusing the said minister of meddling in the affairs of the university and pressuring him, whereas the VC has threatened to resign at any moment. The open and clear allegations of the VC that HRD Minister and Member of Parliament from BJP are meddling in the smooth functioning of the university, which has endangered the autonomous character of the university. The VC has gone to the extent by saying that if HRD Minister has to interfere like this, then in order to run the university HRD Minister should remove him and let some MP or MLA be made the Vice Chancellor of the University to run it. He has spoken that if HRD Minister will not stop poking her nose in the affairs of the university, he will resign as VC.
This unpleasant situation emerged when a decision by VC to conduct all entrance exams of the university online, from the fresh session was announced. This move of the VC was resented by the students and thus offline option was also given for graduation level. Demanding offline option for all university entrance exams, some BJP MP’s supported, demonstrations were held in the university, which prompted HRD Minister to overrule the decision of VC for online entrance exams in the university level. The prevailing scenario clearly speaks of more politics in the universities than the education. The HRD Minister here failed to understand the importance of online entrance exams for streams as this procedure is very much transparent and only viable solution to avoid corrupt practices, favoritism and discrimination in entrance examinations.
Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
Udhampur.
