All central universities to fly national flag

All the 46 central universities in the country will fly the national flag on their campuses to signify a "strong India", said a resolution adopted at a meeting of vice chancellors chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday.

The first flag will be hoisted at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a proposal presented by the minister and backed by all the 46 vice-chancellors, according to human resource development ministry officials.

"At a central place in every university, the national flag will be flown prominently and proudly," said the resolution passed at the meeting in which the vice-chancellors of central universities were also present.

Irani had called the meeting of VCs following widespread protest over the suicide of Dalit scholar of Hyderabad University Rohith Vemula.

The decision came following the row over the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who was arrested on February 12 on sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at an event organised at the university campus on February 9.

According to HRD officials, the proposal for hoisting the national flag atop a 207-feet pole was put forward by the minister and it was unanimously agreed upon by all the VCs.

The other important resolutions also passed in the meeting included a transparent proactive mechanism for grievance redressal of the university community, including students, staff and faculty; steps to appoint an anti-discrimination officer; increasing cost-effective and transparent access to higher education; and commencing an online admission process,

Among the other resolutions were that universities must make sure that instruction in English and an Indian language as applicable to the state is available to ensure that no student is deprived of higher education due to language limitation and institutionalising a suitable redressal mechanism/strengthening the existing system to ensure a healthy, safe and congenial work environment for women, students, staff and faculty.