'An assault on academic freedom'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 2.

In what is being seen as a bid to contain academic debate, the Union Government has sought to dissuade universities from considering foreign participation in discussions of political, semi-political, communal/religious nature or those related to human rights/sensitive technical subjects ``which can be utilised as a platform for any particular line of propaganda'' in the revised guidelines for security clearance for holding international conferences.

According to the revised guidelines -- sent out to all universities by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development -- a clearance would be required from the Union Home Ministry if the subject matter pertains to such issues, and areas covered under Protected/Restricted/Inner line regime.

A clearance from the Home Ministry is also needed if the conference includes participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. In fact, participation from these five countries also requires a ``political clearance'' from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). An MEA clearance is also needed if the subject has a bearing on external relations. Earlier, universities had to send all proposals for holding international conferences/symposia to the MHRD for prior approval.

At least two of the Central Universities in the Capital -- Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) -- have received the guidelines. While the Delhi University authorities have decided to place the revised guidelines before the university's Executive Council at its next meeting, the JNU Teachers' Association has demanded ``immediate revocation of this draconian and undemocratic order''.

At JNU, the revised guidelines have been circulated to all the Centre chairpersons and Deans of all the Schools. According to JNUTA, the security clearance requirements practically ban foreign participation in large areas of intellectual debate in both humanities and sciences. ``This constitutes an interference and unprecedented assault on academic freedom and the established intellectual culture of the universities. There already exists sufficient official mechanism in the MHRD and other nodal Ministries to monitor such events in national interest,'' the Association charged.

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