Arvind Subramanian’s and Professor Bhanu Mehta’s resignation from Ashoka University has stirred debates over academic freedom in educational institutions across the country. The Ashoka University Student Government has called for a two-day strike, and would further go on to demand the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor if their three key demands are not met in time. Prominent activists and leaders including Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan weighed in and expressed their support for Mehta and his departure on fears that he could be a “political liability” for the university on account of his strong political views.

On March 15, former Vice-Chancellor and Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta, and former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian resigned from Ashoka University. The move has, in turn, raised questions over academic freedom and liberty in such institutions, and have agitated students and activists from all over the country. While Subramanian found it “ominously disturbing” that the varsity could “no longer provide a space for academic expression and freedom”, Mehta said that he felt his association with the university had become a “political liability”. 

After a meeting with Founders, it has become abundantly clear to me that my association with the University may be considered a political liability. My public writing in support of a politics that tries to honour constitutional values of freedom and equal respect for all citizens is perceived to carry risks for the university. In the interests of the University, I resign.

-Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta, in his resignation letter

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The students of the institution, who had started protesting yesterday with slogans like “This is not my Ashoka ”, have planned to call a campuswide strike for the next two days. 

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We have planned to call for a strike for two days. Students on campus will organise sit-in protests and talk about issues that need to be discussed like what Ashoka stands for and what the ethos of the university are.

-A member of the Students’ Government, Ashoka University

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A student said that students, teachers, and the administration are used to solving issues by dialogue, however, this time, things have been different.

The news was broken to us from the outside and that is a major reason why it became such a big issue so fast. But we have been having discussions with the administration since then. Even though the Vice-Chancellor met us, her answers are not very satisfactory.

-A student at Ashoka University

On March 20, the Student Government issued an official statement, in the same regard enlisting their plight and the key demands made by the Ashoka student body. 

Not only have we lost intellectual giants and erudite academics whose scholarship we value deeply, but also our trust and faith in this administration to protect the students within the University from external political pressures – specifically, the Vice-Chancellor  (Professor Malabika Sarkar), the Chancellor (Professor Rudrangshu Mukherjee), and the Founders of the University

-the statement read.

The statement makes the following key demands: firstly, the students demand a public acknowledgement by the Founders on Professor Mehta’s statement that he felt that he was a “political liability” as well as assuring the Ashokan Community that Professor Mehta will be given a public unconditional offer letter.  Further, they demand an open meeting to be organised by the Founders with the Student Body. 

The divesting of administrative powers and the rules from founders of the University to the elected representatives of faculty, students and administration. We must create a body with both members of the faculty and student body to serve as a medium to discuss matters with the founders and the administration

the statement added. 

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The Student Body plans on protesting until all of these demands are met. They will be organising a two-day boycott of classes on the 22nd and 23rd March. If the Ashoka administration and founders fail to meet these demands by Tuesday, the Student Government will organise a separate movement demanding that the Vice-Chancellor resign.

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The state crackdown on academics and activists has only worsened during the pandemic. We stand in complete solidarity with all the academicians and activists who have resisted the state’s brutality, organised in support of targeted groups and been subject to imprisonment and torture for it including, but not limited to the Bhima Koregaon 16, peaceful anti-CAA protestors and most recently Nodeep Kaur and Shiv Kumar.

-Official Statement by Ashoka University Student Government

On March 21, breaking their silence after a week, the board which includes the chancellor, vice-chancellor and the chairman of the board of trustees of the varsity said they express “deep regret at the recent events surrounding the resignations of Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Arvind Subramanian who have been extraordinary colleagues and faculty members at Ashoka University.”

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The University has been privileged to have been led, guided and counselled by Pratap first as Vice-Chancellor and then as senior faculty. He has worked closely with the faculty and founders over the years to take the University into a position of being rightly acknowledged as a great centre of learning, teaching and research. 

-Joint Statement, Board of Ashoka University

Arvind brought eminence, stature, fresh ideas and energy to the University. He is one of the premier thinkers about the Indian and the global economy. He leaves a void that will be hard to fill

the statement added.

Meanwhile, Pratap Bhanu Mehta wrote a letter to students, urging them to not “press” for his return, as circumstances that led to his resignation won’t change in the foreseeable future.

Featured Image Credits: The Quint

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2014/06/delhi-university-vc-prof-dinesh-singh-resigns-fyup-row/

https://dubeat.com/2019/07/du-syllabus-row-political-tension-and-ideological-warfare/

Annanya Chaturvedi

[email protected]

12 State Government-Funded DU Colleges have been demanding a change in the pattern of assistance in the releasing of their funds. In the same regard, DU Administration wrote to Delhi Governent demanding that the government cannot change the pattern of assistance for the colleges that are bound to follow the UGC norms in this matter. 

On March 15th, the administration of the University of Delhi wrote to the government demanding that the government cannot change the pattern of assistance for releasing funds of its 12 fully funded colleges for they are bound to follow the University Grants Commission (UGC) norms in matters of budgeting and expenditure. The move comes in just a day before Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to meet the principals of the 12 colleges. The principals have been asked to produce details of appointments, and surplus funds available with them.

This battle for funds of these 12 state government-funded colleges with the Delhi government has been brewing for quite some time now with the colleges alleging that either the government had delayed the release of funds or provided “insufficient” funds. In its defence, the government alleged financial irregularities in these colleges claiming they had surplus reserves.

Two days prior to the move, a resolution was passed by the governing bodies of two of these colleges, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and the Sports Sciences, and Maharishi Valmiki College of Education, stating that the release of grant-in-aid from the government will be carried out as per the pattern of assistance suggested by the Delhi Government, and not that of the UGC. 

In the same regard, countering the move, DU registrar Vikas Gupta said the Delhi government cannot change the pattern of assistance.

These colleges were established as per the norms of the UGC in 1997. All these years, the government has been providing funds to these colleges in line with the UGC norms. Now, they are saying they will decide their own assistance pattern… Also, college governing bodies cannot decide this matter on their own — they work under the control and supervision of the DU’s executive council. They are bound to follow the rules and regulations as prescribed by the executive council.

-DU Registrar, Vikas Gupta

Last December, the Executive Council passed a resolution in accordance to which the funds collected under different heads such as college development fund, hostel fund, student society fund, and admission process charges, can only be used for the purposes for which they were collected. However, the resolution passed by the GBs of the two colleges stated that the colleges can use “surplus grant in aid” drawn and available with them for purposes such as salary, allowance and other recurring expenses. It also forbids the colleges from undertaking any activity that entails a financial liability, such as making appointments, without taking prior approval from the Delhi government.

DU Dean of Colleges Balram Pani said the university on Monday wrote to the director,directorate of higher education, raising the issue.

The modification which has been processed by the directorate of higher education on a retrospective basis is against the law and has resulted in unnecessary and uncalled for panic and unrest among the academic fraternity in these colleges. Any attempt to curtail the autonomy and financial independence of these institutions will neither be a constructive step nor legally tenable as it would vitiate the act, statutes, ordinances, and guidelines of the University…

-DU Administration, in its letter to the director, directorate of higher education

DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association), along with students and DUPA (Delhi University Principal Association) took out an “adhikar rally” from the office of DU’s Acting Vice-Chancellor to Delhi CM’s office, after submitting a memorandum with the chief ministers’ office over the alleged crises in these 12 colleges. 

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2020/10/du-adds-4000-seats-colleges-struggle-with-funds/

https://dubeat.com/2019/05/du-risks-fund-cuts-mou-still-not-signed/

Featured Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Annanya Chaturvedi

[email protected]

On a Women’s Day event organised by BSCEM, ABVP goons allegedly tore the posters at the site and attacked students. Labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur, Bilkis Dadi, as well as mothers of the Butana rape survivors, and the aunt of Gurhmandi rape victim were present at the celebration as speakers, which soon transformed into a site of terror. The police, allegedly, after mishandling students, detained three of them.

On 8th March 2021, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM) organised an event near the Arts Faculty, University of Delhi (DU) in order to encourage discursive voices of women who stood against fascist regimes, and to honour the families of rape survivors. The event was supposed to be an amplification of unheard voices and fight for deserved rights for women of caste, colour and sexualities, professions and was organised to draw people’s attention towards the brutal rape cases in Gurhmandi and Butana.

The event was being carried out as planned until 30-40 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) goons disrupted the ceremony by removing posters, attacking the students and activists, and making sexist and homophobic comments on the women present in the event. 

One of the speakers present at the event was the Dalit labour activist Nodeep Kaur, who was recently released from jail after her arrest and alleged custodial torture. Nodeep was just about to deliver her address when the ABVP allegedly entered the scene and started inquiring about the organisers having valid permissions required for the event, post which they attacked the students. 

What came as a shock was the police, allegedly not doing much to stop the ABVP goons and sidelining with them, instead. The Bhagat Singh Chatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM) alleged, in a statement, that the ABVP members “tore the posters at the site and attacked the students”, while the Delhi Police remained “mute spectators”. The security of the university and police removed all the posters and mishandled women and people from marginalized genders. They could not control the ABVP goons but detained three student activists and forcefully removed the rest.

The ABVP members allegedly hit a student on the head with a stick. Other students have sustained physical injuries as well, the statement added. Former DUTA President, Professor Nandita Narayan, who was present there, was also roughed up by the police.

Delhi Police sources have, however, informed The Quint that no case has been registered yet. According to PTI, the Delhi Police has also claimed that it has not received any complaint from either side so far.

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU), led by the ABVP, issued a statement in the same regard, stating that men present at the event had “attacked” its joint secretary Shivangi Kharwal after she had inquired about the motive of the event.

On the other side of things, Kisan Morcha’s Legal cell member, Vasu Kukreja who was at present at the event to meet Nodeep, alleged that Kharwal had slapped him after he had tried to record the event with his phone. 

The BSCEM informed that following a protest outside the Maurice Nagar Police Station, the detained students were released.

Featured Image Credits: The Logical Indian

Annanya Chaturvedi

[email protected]

On Friday morning, 5th March 2021, the CM of Punjab, Captain Amrinder Singh wrote to the Union Education Minister asking him to disaffiliate the SGTB Khalsa College from the Delhi University, and instead affiliate it to the Punjab University.

Earlier this week, the CM of Andhra Pradesh had also written to the Union Education Minister, asking him to affiliate Sri Venkateswara College to Andhra University. In a similar pattern, on 5th March 2021, the CM of Punjab has also urged the Union Education Minister to affiliate SGTB Khalsa College to Punjab University. CM had allegedly written that it would help strengthen the state’s higher education system, increasing the country’s education merit as a whole.

The government is all set to hold a round table meeting with the admins of all the universities involved to decide the fate of these colleges. However, nothing has been specified by the Delhi University’s administration or by the government regarding this matter.

I don’t even know how to react to this. It’s such an absurd idea. I don’t think the government or the DU admin should entertain these applications by inviting them for a round table meeting. I’ll not be surprised if the CM of Haryana claims Ramjas College next. What’s even more irritating is the fact that the DU admin is clarifying none of the details, no information or no official notice has been released to date.

Ashok Mehta, a professor from SGTB Khalsa College

Delhi University’s acting VC has assured the students to not panic and wait for the official decision. The students are actively staging protests against the administration. The student council of Khalsa College has called for a protest on Monday outside the college main gate. They also have plans to demonstrate outside the acting VC’s residence. Moreover, students from SVC are now protesting alongside the students from SGTB Khalsa College. They are boycotting classes, signing petitions and mailing the VC about their concerns.

Khalsa College has been affiliated to the Delhi University since 1951, from the very beginning. How can the Punjab Government expect Delhi University to give up one of its colleges to Punjab University? It just doesn’t make any sense. Moreover, there’s so much confusion about everything. Nobody has clarity over the issue.

Jashanpreet Singh, a third-year student from SGTB Khalsa College.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted.

Read also- Bazinga: DU Declares DU Beat as its Official Newspaper

Featured image credits: Shiksha

Harsh Paliwal

[email protected]

DU announced the acquisition of DU Beat into its Department of Journalism. Read on as we talk to the Humans of DU Beat and gauge how they are responding to the change.

The Delhi University administration took everyone by surprise as they announced the merger of the student-run newspaper, DU Beat (DUB) into their formal structure. The decision was announced in a press conference by the acting Vice-Chancellor, P.C. Joshi. The process is expected to be finished by the end of March.

“DUB has become an indispensable part of campus life. Seeing them grow this far from a reader’s perspective makes me feel so proud. Kudos to the whole team,

says a Political Science student from Lady Shri Ram College.

Started in October 2007, DUB began as an independent newspaper covering the issues around campus. Over the years, the newspaper has grown manifold and emerged as a formidable voice of the youth.

 “DUB has successfully worked independently for 15 years and now we are pretty excited for this new direction we are taking under the aegis of the Department of Journalism, Delhi University. It will be interesting to work with the experienced members of the University and use the available resources to expand and grow. We have high hopes for the organisation and are confident about this new journey,”

said the Editor-in-Chief of DU Beat, Sakshi Arora .

The Department of Journalism, Delhi University is well-known across the lengths and breadths of the country for its superior quality of education and hands-on approach to education.

However, certain student groups were quick to raise questions about how this merger could potentially compromise the quality of journalism at DU Beat. The rationale behind the merger is to maintain a strong connection with the voice of the students to make the University a healthy and welcoming space for all. The varsity has decided to not intervene in the newspaper’s day-to-day functioning but will just provide the newspaper with the required resources and expertise.

Many within DUB themselves were startled by the development while others called it a manifestation that came true.

“We were very surprised when we heard this piece of news. I am glad that Delhi University has recognised our efforts as a student journalist platform. We are looking forward to this move!”

Said Saanjh Shekhar, Copy-Editor at DU Beat.

“DUB is truly the heartbeat of everyone in DU. From their sizzling purple posts on Instagram to their articles and reports, it has held us together for so many years. I have had the best experience working with it and this piece of news gives me joy. And I would say the recipe of it has been: hard work, perseverance, exotic ideas and content (and losing some sleep)!” 

Navneet Kaur, a correspondent at DU Beat.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted.

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2021/01/bazinga-du-makes-it-compulsory-to-hold-online-cultural-fests/

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Mehul Joshi

[email protected]

As you enter college for the first time, you feel anxious about your old wardrobe. Read ahead for some fashion tips and tricks to overcome it!

As soon as you enter college, choosing the right clothes for your wardrobe becomes a challenge. School and wardrobe is however an oxymoron. What clothing details did we have in school for that matter? Only that monochromatic skirt, white shirt, or black/green pants. Thus, hating your old wardrobe in college is a natural emotion. But don’t throw everything away, just yet! Here are some tips for your wardrobe from a fellow DU student.

That Farewell Saree? Keep it.

This one is for those who wore saree on school farewell for the first time: DU and sarees have a beautiful relationship. Sarees will become a quintessential clothing component of college wardrobe. Right from your college’s Diwali Mela to the traditional day of DU fest or your farewell. Saree will be needed a lot. So don’t discard either your annual function’s or farewell’s saree. You can rejuvenate it by wearing different blouses.

Treasure your MUN suits

If you have done debating and attended Model United Nations (MUN) conferences in school, those black, blue, navy and brown formals that you wore will be needed in college too. You may join the MUN circle of your college or simply sit in an internship interview. Thus, don’t fight with the formals that you already have. You can give them a new look by pairing them with new shirts, but keep the foundational suits intact.

The Delhi/DU Fad 

As an outstation student, I was always anxious about what the “Delhi fashion” would be like. So as a first-hand note, I suggest freshers not to over-buy many things from their hometown. That’s because most clothes lose their shine amongst DU fashion. A better option is to only keep essentials like jeans, shirts, leggings, tops, etc. Rather buying things from local Delhi markets like Sarojini Nagar and that too at economical rates can prove to be more lucrative. Besides that, don’t fret too much over what people around you are wearing. Pick your own style.

Mix-Matching is the Key 

Your war-peace relationship with your old wardrobe shouldn’t delusion you into believing that it’s not worthwhile. In college, people mostly do things in a DIY way. Someone will be seen wearing jhumkas with jeans. Others will be seen wearing saree with shoes. Yet it all looks beautiful. Thus, freshers, you shouldn’t be worried about investing in paired or expensive clothes. Just go about accessorising your outfits. If you have an old top, you can pair it up with new earrings that you can buy.

Footwear and Top Wear

Lastly, it’s advised that you beautify your college wardrobe by mostly investing in top or footwear. Top wear is one thing that catches everyone’s eyes just like your heels, sneakers, boots, etc. So keep your old jeans with you and try only buying new tops. That’s because only footwear and top wear undergo drastic fashion changes.

So if your little first-year tummy is getting anxious, ask it to calm down. College fashion is mostly flexible and you will find peace with your wardrobe easily!

Read also: https://dubeat.com/2019/09/auburn-umbrella-the-pervasive-print-culture/

Image Credits: Fabindia

Navneet Kaur 

[email protected]