Chennai: The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) letter to vice-chancellors of all universities on celebrating the Surgical Strike Day on September 29 has attracted criticism from eminent educationists in the state who called it “as an unwarranted infringement on universities’ autonomous space”.
The commission also asked the universities to encourage students to pledge their support for the armed forces besides instructing NCC units of all universities to hold a special parade to mark the day in which Army launched a secret attack to destroy terrorist camps across the Line of Control in 2016.
“The universities may organise a talk-session calling ex-servicemen to sensitise about sacrifices made by the armed forces,” UGC had said in its communication to the universities.
When enquired officials from Madras University said, “We are yet to take a call on the issue. We will decide about it next week.”
Meanwhile, officials from Anna University said they have referred the letter for taking further action.
Calling the UGC’s move as militarizing the education, former vice-chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University V. Vasanthi Devi said, “It is a completely unwarranted encroachment into the autonomy of higher educational institutions.” “Armed forces are having a limited role and one must be thankful for the sacrifices made by them. But we must be equally thankful for larger sections of the society constituting labourers, workers and farmers,” she added.
She also reminded that UGC is merely a funding agency and that funding powers too now taken away by the central government.
Further, she said, “Nobody has the right to claim a monopoly over the rights of patriotism. In higher educational institutions, even nationalism, patriotism should be subjected to the critical appraisal. The universities should raise the issue with UGC about the circular. They must consider it as unwarranted infringement into their autonomous space.”
Anna University former Vice-Chancellor E. Balagurusamy said, “UGC should avoid sending such circulars.”
“UGC has other things to do instead of focusing on these issues. Quality in higher education is deteriorating day by day and a majority of universities lack basic facilities for research and teaching. So it needs to concentrate on higher education rather concentrating the issues which are political in nature,” he noted.
