Amartya Sen accuses Modi government of taking over academic institutions

Points at wider trend of regime changes in major educational institutes

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has accused the Modi government of trying to seize direct control over academic institutions.

Following an earlier accusation, in which Sen blamed the present government for his “ouster” from the chancellorship of the Nalanda University, the world-renowned economist has now said his exit from Nalanda University was part of the Narendra Modi-led government’s wider project of controlling educational institutions in the country. According to a Times of India  report, the accusation is part of a 4,000-word essay about to be published in the August issue of the New York Review of Books .

Sen is set to end his tenure as chancellor on July 17, and will be succeeded by George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore.

Sen’s chancellorship at the Nalanda University has been clouded by controversies. In an interview to the Indian Express , in February, Sen had denied rumours of government expenses, to the tune of Rs 2,700 crore, dedicated to the university. Sen defined his tenure at the university as a “labour of love’ and said he had not drawn any salary or remuneration during this time. He further stated that, “the total expenses of Nalanda University over four years, from its founding in 2010 to the end of the last financial year (2013-14), came

 

to under Rs 25 crore”. The total, he said would probably close in on Rs 40 crore by the end of the next financial year (2014-15).

Reiterating his stand on the issue, Sen, in an interview to the Times of India , quoted instances from IIT-Bombay, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Council of Historical Resesearch (ICHR) and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), to suggest that “every institution where the government has a formal role is being converted into where the government has a substantive role".

Sen’s accusation comes in the wake of ongoing protests at the Pune-based Film and Television institute of India (FTII) against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as its chairperson. In a recent development on the issue, actress Pallavi Joshi joined the ranks of industry stalwarts such as Jahnu Baruah and Santosh Sivan in quitting the institution’s governing council.