Mumbai: Academic Caution: Colleges Instruct Professors to Avoid Anti-India Sentiments in Lectures
Mumbai, 28th November 2023: Professors are being instructed by organizing colleges to avoid making statements supporting anti-India sentiments, terrorism, and terrorist activities during their lectures. These instructions are being issued in line with the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Union Ministry of Education. The move comes in the wake of a recent controversy over a lecture at IIT Mumbai, prompting colleges to take steps to ensure that the opinions expressed during lectures do not hurt the sentiments of any community or group.
The instructions given to guest speakers emphasize refraining from expressing anti-national views, supporting terrorist activities, and making statements that may offend any community. However, there is a lack of clear definitions for terms like “anti-national opinion” and “acts of terrorism.” Some argue that such vague guidelines may stifle academic freedom and expression.
Prof. Neeraj Hatekar, who recently delivered a lecture on ‘Maratha Reservation and Related Movements’ as part of a refresher course, shared his experience of receiving such instructions from a college outside Mumbai. While the college cited UGC rules, Hatekar questioned the lack of clarity in defining what constitutes anti-India sentiments. He emphasized the need for precise definitions to avoid ambiguity and ensure open academic discussions.
The move to provide guidelines for lectures and events is seen as part of broader efforts to regulate expressions and opinions within educational institutions. The incident at IIT Mumbai led to the establishment of an independent committee to assess the eligibility of guests and to formulate regulations regarding lectures and programs.
