{"id":38479,"date":"2017-04-10T13:27:55","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T20:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=38479"},"modified":"2017-04-10T13:27:55","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T20:27:55","slug":"growing-intolerance-threatening-free-inquiry-open-debate-indias-universities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/growing-intolerance-threatening-free-inquiry-open-debate-indias-universities\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing intolerance is threatening free inquiry and open debate in India\u2019s universities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"indianuniprotests\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Higher education in India is going through a critical phase. The country has witnessed tremendous growth in the sector since independence<\/a>, and now has 750 universities, 35,000 colleges and 30 million of students. But none of its best institutions have<\/a> managed to secure a place in the list of the world\u2019s top 200 universities.<\/p>\n

This is particularly worrying as some of India\u2019s leading institutions are now facing drastic cuts in employment and resources. The prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), for instance, has just announced an 83% cut<\/a> in its research funds and a reduction in the number of students accepted for doctoral and masters degrees for the academic year 2017-2018.<\/p>\n

And on March 25, the Tata Institute for Social Science<\/a>, another centre of research excellence, issued termination letters to 25 members of its faculty.<\/p>\n

Both moves have come under scrutiny, leading, in the case of JNU, to a massive strike<\/a> by students.<\/p>\n

These are dark times for India\u2019s higher education system. Not only because of the poor showing of universities, but especially because of the shrinking space for genuine intellectual freedom on the nation\u2019s campuses.<\/p>\n

Universities under attack<\/strong><\/p>\n

In fact, the very idea of what universities are meant to be is under severe attack in India. For the past couple of years, universities in the country have been the theatre of various upheavals.<\/p>\n

In 2016, protests erupted in JNU<\/a> after an event organised by students<\/a> turned into a political controversy over the Kashmir conflict and led to a countrywide debate on nationalism<\/a>.<\/p>\n