More Women Should Be Encouraged To Pursue Higher Education

What has been the greatest challenge in your educational career? What gave you the strength to respond to it?

The major challenge comes when one succeeds in mid-career, where the university environment is critical. Expertise and knowledge are often pushed aside in favour of identity. Afraid of knowledge, people tend to create illusions and do not venture out of their comfort zone, often accompanied byfalsehood, illusions and delusions. These are more common in academia than normally recognised. Teachers are also human and often mediocracy fears knowledge. Thanks to a few good friends, I fought tenaciously and finally won. That journey convinced me that the world would eventually unite, celebrate knowledge and respect the good.The path is difficult and thorny, but tenacity eventually pays off.  

The third challenge came when I became vice chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University in February 2022. Within hours of me assuming office, a false Twitter controversy arose where people constructed and peddled a false identity and tried to defame me. This came amidst the larger vitiated climate in the campus even before I arrived. Immediately, I had to expose the false campaign, break the divide and initiate a dialogue among diverse and differing groups. My response was simple, straight and honest: getting JNU back to its vibrant academic and research culture by reminding and focussing on its diverse culture and rekindling its inclusive and innovative norms through equality and equity.  

What, in your opinion, is an ideal work environment in educational institutions?

Academic autonomy with a deep commitment to Indian ethics can only be pursued if the state is prepared to increase its investment in education to double digits significantly. Like others, JNU is a public Institution that has immensely contributed to poor and marginalised sections to pursue their social and political dreams. Hence, public institutions have to be nurtured by the state if we have to achieve the goal of a Vikasit Bharat in 2047. A balance between excellence and empathy is an absolute necessity. More importantly, Nari Shakti is critical for India's progress and more and more women should be encouraged to pursue higher education and contribute to public life. Centuries of patriarchy makes this process difficult, challenging and even frustrating. One has to fight the conservative mindset and encourage more women into higher education. This requires the creation of wider and more securespaces for all. This can be pursued only through the existence and encouragement of multiple narratives that celebrate our diversity, democracy, deliberation, discussion and dissent. Unity must becherished and encouraged not uniformity.

What measures can you suggest to keep students actively involved and motivated during a class?

Teachers need to be committed to teaching through passionate and up-to-date knowledge in their respective domains. Route learning must give way to thinking and teachers must inspire students. While technology is critical, teachers must be smarter than AI and ChatGPT. Teachers have to use technology in teaching with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary methods. Teachers can inspire the next generation through their commitment to their subject and be role models by imparting knowledge professionally. One can motivate students only through regularity, punctuality and professionalism with innovation rooted in our civilisational values.

In a recent development, NAAC has instructed a new grading system for higher education institutes across India. Your comments on the new binary system of accreditation.

The new binary system of accreditation draft has been circulated and suggestions have been invited. NAAC is conducting consultations with all stakeholders transparently and democratically. The binary process is welcome as it minimizes corruption and data fudgingthrough continuous assessment. This new approach is a progressive development. There needs to be certain sensitives to public higher education institutions as they contribute to bridging social and economic disparities. The state subsidises these institutions to fulfill the constitutional commitments and guarantees of equity and social justice. This is in contrast to most private institutes that view higher education as yet another business investment where fees are exorbitant with very little commitment to reducing economic and social disparities.