Page 16 - EW April 2021

Education News

DELHI Widespread criticism of the
Roles definition lesson university’s administration has un-

doubtedly dented the reputation of
this highly respected varsity ranked
India’s #3 private university in the
EducationWorld India Higher Edu-
cation Rankings 2020-21, and par-
ticularly of its trustees and admin-
istration. The faculty and students
who hitherto regarded themselves
as a privileged elite, are also up in
arms. Ninety faculty dons of the
university in a letter to the university
vice chancellor Malabika Sarkar,
wrote: “We are greatly troubled by
this scenario. Even more troubling
is the possibility that our university
may have acceded to pressure to re-
move Prof. Mehta or to request, and
accept, his resignation.”
Students — half of them on vary-
Ashoka University, Sonipat: dented reputation. Inset: Pratap Bhanu Mehta ing need-based scholarships — under
the aegis of its Student Govern-
HE RESIGNATION OF PROF. Pratap ing in support of a politics that tries ment, have addressed a three-point
Bhanu Mehta from the to honour constitutional values of demand — public acknowledgement
Tpolitical science faculty of freedom and equal respect for all by the founders of what Prof. Mehta
Ashoka University (AU) on March citizens, is perceived to carry risks has indicated; an open meeting with
15, has stirred the academy in India for the university. In the interests of faculty and students and divest-
and abroad and shaken the carefully the university, I resign.” ing administrative powers and
curated reputation of this seven- Two days after Indian Express roles from founders of university to
year-old university positioned as broke the story of Mehta’s resig- elected representatives of faculty and
the country’s first wholly — Ameri- nation, Arvind Subramanian, vice chancellor. According to latest
can Ivy league-style — liberal arts former chief economic advisor reports, Sarkar has given a written
university. (2014-2017) of the incumbent BJP/ assurance to the Student Govern-
When Mehta was appointed vice NDA government at the Centre and ment stating that its nominee would
chancellor of this institution in 2017 professor in AU’s department of henceforth be invited to all meetings
and two years later demoted himself economics, also put in his papers in of the board of management.
to mere faculty, he brought formi- protest. These high-profile resigna- Caught in a maelstrom, the
dable scholarship (alum of Oxford tions not only hogged national and AU administration has had to eat
(UK) and Princeton (USA), teach- international media headlines but humble pie and admit to “lapses
ing experience at Harvard, and as have also sparked a fierce debate on in institutional processes”. “We
president of Delhi-based think tank academic freedom and university acknowledge that there have been
Centre for Policy Research), to AU. autonomy in contemporary India, some lapses in institutional pro-
Perhaps more important, as consult- where the BJP leadership is quick to cesses which we will work to rectify
ing editor and weekly columnist of classify all criticism of the govern- in consultation with all stakeholders.
the multi-editions Indian Express, ment as anti-national, and to slap This will reaffirm our commitment
Mehta has established a reputation sedition charges on critics. to academic autonomy and freedom
as the country’s foremost anti-estab- Former Reserve Bank of India which have always been at the core
lishment public intellectual. governor Raghuram Rajan was of the Ashoka University ideals,” says
In his resignation letter, Prof. among the first to react. “Ashoka’s a joint statement signed by chancel-
Mehta wrote: “After a meeting with founders have succumbed to outside lor Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Sarkar,
founders, it has become abundantly pressure to get rid of a troublesome chairman of the board of trustees
clear to me that my association with critic. Free speech is the soul of a (Ashish Dhawan) and significantly,
the university may be considered a great university. The founders have by Mehta and Arvind Subramanian.
political liability. My public writ- bartered away its soul,” says Rajan. According to well-informed

18 EDUCATIONWORLD APRIL 2021