Page 20 - EW October 2025

Education News

grounds that it was premature and tionally recognised for his
insufficiently backed by evidence, work in probability theory,
the learned judges observed that random matrices, and sto-
NIRF 2025 could be challenged with chastic processes, and one
adequate evidence if the petitioner of the signatories to the pro-
is aggrieved after the rankings are test petitition, for several
published. decades, if not centuries,
Meanwhile the Union education Indian mathematics educa-
ministry is becoming aware about tion has been respected for
rising dissatisfaction and patent its rigour, producing genera-
anomalies of NIRF rankings and is tions of scientists, engineers,
mulling punitive measures against and innovators. Instead of
malpractice and misrepresentation building on this strength,
of data. “While the final decision to UGC has produced a diluted
debar institutes that continue to de- framework that “substitutes
liberately misrepresent data has not UGC, Delhi headquarters. Inset: Vineet Joshi tokenism for depth”.
yet been taken, we are serious about “Ancient Indian contribu-
such cases and likely to consider ate students protested that the stan- tions to mathematics deserve scholarly
harsh measures,” said Prof. Anil dardised draft syllabus is “riddled treatment, but their superficial inclu-
Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NBA, with grave defects, and if adopted, will sion in the draft syllabus with discon-
in an interview with Times of India damage the prospects of generations nected modules on Vedic techniques,
(October 3). of students” of all disciplines since indigenous timekeeping, undermines
This year, a mere 7,962 of India’s mathematics underpins several disci- both tradition and modernity. Core
47,000 colleges and 1,338 universi- plines including science, engineering, courses such as algebra and advanced
ties participated in NIRF 2025 by and economics. calculus have been compressed be-
submitting data in the prescribed In particular, signatories to the yond recognition, while electives such
format to NBA. There’s a clear and petition who included M.S. Raghuna- as Fourier analysis and machine learn-
present danger that if NIRF doesn’t than (Centre for Excellence in Basic ing are offered without the conceptual
inspire institutional confidence, it Science); Shrikrishna G. Dani (UM- scaffolding to make them meaningful.
may go the way of the National As- DAE Centre for Excellence); Rajendra The result is not a bold synthesis of
sessment and Accreditation Council Bhatia (Ashoka University); Amber heritage and contemporary knowl-
of India (NAAC, estb. 1994). Accord- Habib (Shiv Nadar University); Man- edge, but an incoherent curriculum
ing to a December 18, 2024 response junath Krishnapur and Mahesh Kadke that risks dismantling the hard-earned
of the education ministry in Parlia- (Indian Institute of Science); Mahan rigour of Indian mathematics taught
ment, the number of valid NAAC M.J (Tata Institute of Fundamental to undergraduates,” says Krishnapur.
accreditations on that date was 5,967 Research) and Ramanujam R. (Azim Against this backdrop of wide-
colleges and 384 universities. Premji University), criticised the draft spread dissatisfaction, the petitioners
Autar Nehru (Delhi) syllabus for insufficient attention to have called upon UGC to withdraw the
core mathematics (algebra, real analy- current draft mathematics curriculum
Mathematicians sis), underrepresentation or improp- in its existing form; constitute a new
committee comprising distinguished
er placement of core applied math,
protest lip service to new age topics such as mathematicians and teachers of un-
dergraduate mathematics to redraft
machine learning, AI, little or no lab
work, and inclusion of arcane courses the draft syllabus which should give
he university grants Commis- such as mathematics in meditation. adequate emphasis to core areas (al-
sion (UGC) draft syllabus for The petititoners contend that instead gebra, analysis, geometry, applied
Tundergraduate mathematics of recommending a broad framework mathematics).
released on August 20, 2025, recom- and leaving space for universities to Even as he mulls over proposals
mended to serve as a framework for innovate, the commission has chosen of the protest petition, UGC chair-
the country’s 1,338 universities, has to prescribe detailed content and se- man Vineet Joshi who has the power
provoked a storm of criticism. quencing of courses. to withhold and/or reduce grants of
In a petititon dated September According to Prof. Manjunath public universities that don’t fall in
7 addressed to UGC chairman Dr. Krishnapur, distinguished profes- line with these “advisory” guidelines,
Vineet Joshi, 900 researchers, sor of mathematics at the Indian In- would do well to bear in mind that
mathematicians, teachers and gradu- stitute of Science, Bangalore, interna- three globally top-ranked universities

20 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2025