Why in news?
- University Grants Commission has sent a circular to the vice-chancellors of the 900-odd universities regulated by it.
What is the circular on?
- UGC has urged universities and colleges to mark September 29, designated as the Surgical Strike Day by the present regime.
- This is to commemorate two years of Indian armed forces' surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in 2016.
- It asks them to ensure students “pledge their support for the armed forces” via paper and digital letters.
- All institutions with NCC units will have to organise a special parade.
- After this, the NCC commander will address students on the modalities of border protection.
- Universities/colleges will have to organise interactions with former members of the armed forces.
What is the rationale?
- It is claimed that this would make students appreciate the role of the armed forces.
- They would understand how privileges of citizenship for civilians and army-men flow alike from a robust defence apparatus.
- Students get sensitised about the sacrifices made by the armed forces.
What are the concerns?
- UGC - The law assigns the UGC with all matters academic and administrative in the higher education ecosystem.
- It is to be soon replaced with the Higher Education Commission of India.
- The change of roles is a proof of how UGC has failed to carry out its mandate.
- UGC has surrendered its independence by claiming that it has only given instructions in accordance with a “government directive”.
- UGC, failing to ensure Indian universities figure among the world’s or Asia’s best, is signing off as a mere tool of competitive politics.
- Nationalism - It is contested that observing a Surgical Strike Day is geared more towards political ends.
- Moves such as “walls of valour”, tanks in campuses, etc, amount to unwarranted militarisation of academic spaces.
- It conflates the nation and nationhood with the nation-state.
- It thus breeds political allegiance rather than the intended patriotism/nationalism.
- It, in turn, suppresses the legitimate criticism of the nation-state.
- The said objectives could be sourced through ways that do not involve celebrating any particular military action.
- The UGC circular sets a dangerous precedent as it has nothing to do with higher education, let alone be under the UGC’s remit.
Source: Financial Express
