Heated exchanges on X between current & former students of South Asian University over a professor’s ‘forced’ retirement point to tensions among teachers, ‘lack of academic freedom’.
Row over student citing Chomsky’s criticism of PM in research proposal & retirement of professor is latest flashpoint. But, there's no denying that SAU was a unique academic project.
In his letter to SAU acting president, Binoy Viswam of CPI has called out two declarations in mandatory ‘general undertaking’ for students and asked for their removal.
Academics from universities in India, US & UK are among 502 signatories. Their letter comes days after academics from Bangladesh wrote to the South Asian University demanding the same.
Letter to the SAARC university says 'such despotic practices can only breed in non-democratic environment'. The professors, suspended in June, were accused of inciting student protests.
Since its establishment in 2010, South Asian University has seen various controversies — the most recent ones being students protesting against university's admin & suspension of faculty.
Suspensions come months after South Asian University was rocked by student protests seeking an increase in the monthly stipend for Master’s and PhD programmes, among other demands.
University allegedly warned embassies that students actions can be seen as ‘anti-Indian’. They’ve been protesting for higher stipends, expansion of scholarships since October.
No classes have been held at South Asian University since 13 October with students on protest, demanding higher stipends and adequate representation for social sciences faculty.
Asia has increased its representation in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings from just over a quarter of all ranked universities in 2016 to almost a third today.
In Episode 1544 of CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at some top economists pointing to the pitfalls of ‘currency nationalism’ with data from 1991 to 2004.
Using this technology, IDF carried out fully robotic combat missions, drastically reducing risk to Israeli troops. The robotic combat task force also enhanced situational awareness.
While we talk much about our military, we don’t put our national wallet where our mouth is. Nobody is saying we should double our defence spending, but current declining trend must be reversed.
These good for nothing political science and sociology students/professors should be thrown out of the university. Wherever these idiots go, trouble follows.
The best way to deal with them is to close down departments of political science, sociology, etc. across universities.
The focus should be on basic sciences and technology.
Good riddance!
Prof. Perera can enjoy the “academic freedom” he so pines for in his own country now. He had no business spreading his nonsense ideology in India.
Good luck to him!
Almost all such universities established during the UPA era suffer from internal politics resulting in a toxic environment. Academics and research suffer and students are the worst affected.
The root cause is that recruitment for these universities made during the UPA era were on the basis of political ideology. Merit was not really a factor. Neither was research output.
The creation of these universities were meant to provide state funded secure jobs to various shades of socialist and communist “intellectuals” who were sympathetic to the Congress and the Left. Also, these universities were meant to serve as centres of indoctrination of young minds so that foot soldiers could be supplied to the socialist and communist causes.
Unfortunately, things did not turn out as planned. These “intellectuals” got into petty fights and started indulging in factionalism and worse. What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the rot which had seeped in right since the inception of these universities.
These good for nothing political science and sociology students/professors should be thrown out of the university. Wherever these idiots go, trouble follows.
The best way to deal with them is to close down departments of political science, sociology, etc. across universities.
The focus should be on basic sciences and technology.
This is common in ‘Mickey mouse’ universities. Of late, such things are happening in the IISC, too.
Good riddance!
Prof. Perera can enjoy the “academic freedom” he so pines for in his own country now. He had no business spreading his nonsense ideology in India.
Good luck to him!
Almost all such universities established during the UPA era suffer from internal politics resulting in a toxic environment. Academics and research suffer and students are the worst affected.
The root cause is that recruitment for these universities made during the UPA era were on the basis of political ideology. Merit was not really a factor. Neither was research output.
The creation of these universities were meant to provide state funded secure jobs to various shades of socialist and communist “intellectuals” who were sympathetic to the Congress and the Left. Also, these universities were meant to serve as centres of indoctrination of young minds so that foot soldiers could be supplied to the socialist and communist causes.
Unfortunately, things did not turn out as planned. These “intellectuals” got into petty fights and started indulging in factionalism and worse. What we are seeing now is the manifestation of the rot which had seeped in right since the inception of these universities.