Elephant in the Room : Dismal Politics in Universities and Research Institutes of India

Pusham Azad Babu *

In the last few weeks, two major developments in the academic world have been making news. Whereas the impasse at Manipur University with protests for removal of Vice Chancellor Adya Prasad Pandey is unprecedented; the news of inclusion of the 'hypothetical Jio Institute' as an 'Institute of Eminence' amongst the well established Universities and research institutes of India has given the academic world a shock. While the two developments are unique in their own ways, both seem to be connected with a common link-the political force behind the two.

Meanwhile the turmoil inside Manipur University has spread across the state, has crossed 50 days and has done enough damage not only to the academic life of the state, but also to the whole state. On the other hand the Jio impact has given a moment to ponder if the quality of education, and for that matter, the quality of knowledge production can be predetermined based on acquired capital, power and influences?

If the parameters to rate a research institute as an institute of eminence can be measured through a hypothetically assumed knowledge of 'ability' of the founder/sponsor, it is high time to discuss if the quality accreditation process of academic institutions in India is not following the established norms and techniques of calculating quality parameters, but is being moved by models preferred by those in power.

We need a serious questioning on the latest trend of using academic campuses as hotbed of mainstream politics in India and how that can have far reaching consequences in the real craft of knowledge production. This unprecedented move has given an anguishing moment to ponder not just on the basic premise of granting such heavy tag to educational institutes, however, the semiotics of this action is pathological and opens up disturbing narratives. It is high time for the academic community and policy makers of the country to look into the direction along which the higher education of the country has been drifting.

A pertinent puzzle lies in the particular 'category' of institutes the center has chosen for the elite tag. In the last few years, it has been observed that social sciences have been given less priority in higher education. This move implicitly shows consolidation of an agenda of the government in power, to demean the value of social science and the boundless scope it provides in the realm of critical thinking and critiquing moves of the kind mentioned above. A clear image of a deliberate push of market forces and neo-liberal agenda in the education sector can be seen here.

However, what seem to be more problematic in the recent development are the implicit yet the intricate connection between the politically motivated means used for such moves and the ends which seem to serve particular political agendas. More than the question of commodification of education, the important issue is the tacit expropriation of academic campuses for larger political significances.

The Political Construction of Poster Boy figure amongst the Research Institutes of India

The sudden emergence of an institute without an address with an 'institute of eminence' tag has taken everyone by surprise. However, certain other developments in the last few years are similarly disturbing. For instance, a new scholarship scheme, PM Research Fellowship (PMRF), was rolled out in early 2018. It is said that the fellowship aims to stop the best brains of India from taking up research scholarships abroad. The scholarship amount ranges from Rs 70,000 to 80,000 per month and an annual grant of Rs. 2 lakhs, for 'select' research scholars from IITs, NITS and IISERs; however, the choice of institutes seems rather problematic.

It is worth asking whether the preference of institutes has been given on the basis of their tags or through the quality and extent of research products. The pertinent question is, whether there is lack of talent and competitive scholars in other main stream universities and research institutes? Moreover, other similar developments inside research institutions and universities are worth mentioning.

In the last few years, we have witnessed a wavy journey of the country's premier space research institute, ISRO. While there has been some grand achievements, there have also been some serious failures. After the whole hullabaloo about India's space program, being pitted as the most reliable space agency in the category below 2000 kg payloads, sometimes a few homegrown space experts even comparing ISRO with the credibility counts of NASA and other well established space agencies; it seems the organization has recently become a mirror of deep political penetration.

Undoubtedly, ISRO is a leading space agency known for its capability to launch lightweight satellites at low cost. However, ISRO, of late, seems to have lost credibility to a certain extent in the multi- billion dollar space market. A simple reason that has been observed could be contamination of what should be a sterile scientific space with 'out of the frame' political interference. However, despite going through a fluctuating journey, ISRO still enjoys a 'cricket figure' amongst India's scientific R&D sector.

On the other hand an interesting and noteworthy trend has been observed in the last few years, especially after 2014. Topmost scientists of the nation's highly rated space agency ISRO have been seen sharing dais with leaders of organizations known for their particularly radical religious ideology- like RSS. For instance, former ISRO chief Radha Krishnan shared the dais with Mohan Bhagwat as the chief guest of a valedictory ceremony for RSS's Akhil Bharitya Shrung Ghosh Shibir, 'SWARANJALI-2016'. The Indian Express published an article on January 12, 2016, penned by Amitabh Sinha and Ashutosh Bhardwaj, titled "Ex-ISRO chiefs disagreed on many things - except RSS".

The article highlighted on how G. Madhavan Nair, another ISRO chief who preceded Radhakrishnan, was a regular face at many RSS events; he participated as a chief guest at an event that took place in Indore from 29th December, 2015-2nd January 2016, Vishwa Sangh Sivir. Nair, according to the article, also serves as a patron to Vijnana (read as Vigyan) Bharati, an RSS-backed body to promote science.

This trend opens up many areas to question, about the possible relationship between political and ideological anchorage the head of the institute maintains and the limelight that the institute enjoys,or is there more to it? There is a tacit seepage of certain political ideology into the classrooms and labs of universities and research centers across the country. Perhaps this diverts the priorities and changes the ethos of any academic institute of higher studies and complex research; which impacts on their quality and output as a whole.

Looking at the trend of how Samprak Vhibag (a wing or department of the RSS) has been trying to appropriate people of high position in the scientific world to their ideological medium, and, in return, the manner in which a number of respected scientists have expressed their affiliations or leanings over a period of time, there seems to be a clear indication that these personalities might have their priorities shared between an ideologically fed political indulgence and scientific research. It has been seen in the last 4-5 years how the rightist parties, particularly the one of the government; continue to promote ISRO by connecting its success stories with expression of extreme nationalism.

At a time where the love for any primordial entity has been married to a politically manufactured idea of nationalism, and indigenisation of production processes in industries has been celebrated in terms of its weight of political significance rather than its contribution to the economy of the country, ISRO's successes have been linked with the current government's flagship programme, 'Make in India'. ISRO's success and its ability to earn some foreign exchange through satellite launches has been linked with the government's notion of 'Good Governance'.

A simple survey of the kind of comments people gives on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. or under news report on online news portals like that of the Times of India, about ISRO's successful launch of a satellite can give us a clear public opinion of what ISRO is perceived as, of late. No doubt, ISRO's success in the last few decades, including the successful operational launch of GSLV with India's indigenous cryogenic engine, placing the historical orbiter Mangalyaan on Mars' orbit and the country's first successful probe to the Moon, the Chandrayaan is commendable.

However, things seem to be blown out of proportion when ISRO becomes a 'poster boy'; as if it is 'the only' center for excellence in research, among India's various scientific research institutions. Moreover, another larger meaning can be made from the way how the success of ISRO and its image has been appropriated with strength, efficiency, power , nationalism etc. and the effective politics that goes around these enyities; just as strength, efficiency, dedication and nationalism of army are being used as effectives tool in contemporary politics.

The Push and Pull factors across the walls of campuses.

A political move is always anchored by an ideology, because that's the spirit that gives life to the actions. Precisely after 2014, just after the change of Central political regime in India, we have seen a spate of debates related to nationalism on and off the TV screen. It was more so when an incident of sloganeering in JNU rocked the country. Debates on nationalism for once became the magic stick to hard-sell patriotism and to enhance the face value of certain political parties. While a nation's army is often used as a symbol to showcase nationalism, to instill patriotism and sense of dedication to the people in all nations, the trend of debates in India took a nasty step ahead by galloping the whole idea of nationalism towards a skewed vision of 'army nationalism'.

Hard selling army nationalism phenomenally became the iconic style for certain ideologically sold out news channels to run prime time discussion, almost on a daily basis. That was the time when certain retired army officers became ubiquitous figures in almost every 'pro-nationalist' news channel, in certain university campuses or in functions organized by 'nationalist' political parties.

That was the turning point, after which the sea of crackdowns across universities in India began to surface. The recent changes at various universities across India- including JNU, Hyderabad Central University, Jadavpur University, Alighrah Muslim University, Manipur University etc.- can be viewed as a direct expression of a politically motivated institutional handling mechanism, unleashed through selected constitutional authority, backed by a certain ideology.

The ongoing impasse in Manipur University shows an image of a complete denial of unwanted ideology creeping inside the academic space and established culture of the region. More than the symbolic moves and gestures which occasionally shifts a paradigm of academic culture, the crackdown of the core fabric of administration becomes the triggering point of mutation of even the well established structures, norms and academic ethos of universities or research institutes as a center for knowledge production.

Sadly, it has been witnessed in majority of the institutes that the structural framework constuting of the top position to the bottom are often run by forces of the hegemonic ideology that manages the status quo. The structural or forced attempt to implant rigid, undilutable, taken for granted monochromic political ideologies and practices inside the walls of universities and research institutes lead to dilution of democratic ethos of academic campuses.

The Impact Factor: Is it only the Prime Time Impact that Matters?

If, for obvious reasons, the value of any institution is to be measured by the impact factor of their academic output, there are more worth mentioning. It is not sure, why some of those news-anchors who keep shouting on some TV channels have never mentioned the names of Indian Institute of Immunology, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, National Institute of Virology and various other reputed research institutes. Have we ever seriously calculated the amount of work scientists in these labs and hundreds of other labs in the country put in to produce research findings which may help in saving the lives of multiple million Indians?

Moreover, have we ever seen any TV anchor or for that matter any parliamentarian talking about the impact of research in Agricultural sciences, where continuous efforts of the scientists have been helping in the production of better and high yielding, pest resistant varieties of food-crops, which, in turn, aids to meet the need of the ever increasing population of India? Is it even proper to imagine a situation where ISRO, DRDO or HAL work without the back up of hundreds of other universities and research centers which are working on fundamental sciences?

Are the research works of theoretical physics in JNU and TIFR not as important as those scientists working in rocket propulsion system in ISRO? Why do we only have to go by the face value or, for that matter, by the 'instant impact factor' of a scientific research? If ISRO's rocket manufacturing and launching technology or deep space navigation skill is making it a world player in this field, earning India laurels in front of the International community, why can't we think and talk of the biological scientists or nano-scientists who are working on vaccines or generic drugs that are being circulated across the globe, making India a top player in the area? Here, the outcome is not the fanciful, ceremonial, displayable one that can be watched from a podium, like the rocket launching exercise of ISRO for which the Indian Prime Minister can watch and clap. However, it is the result of the intense work in quiet labs that bring smiles to and relieves pain of millions.

Moreover, why have our conscience failed to acknowledge the endless, rigorous research works done by social scientists at hundreds of universities across India. Are they not the ones who are producing knowledge that helps to understand and enlighten about centuries old social problems that plagues our society? In areas ranging from social issues, political issues, international relations, economics, literature, linguistics, arts, music and many other fields, their contributions to our society and beyond are limitless. Why have we not seen politicians mentioning the name of any of the scientists from these areas?

Are they doing a less worthy research or are their services and dedication to the nation less patriotic? Is the existing system for Rewards and Recognition (R&R), doing less to acknowledge the contributions of these scientists? These are certain pertinent questions which pop up each time ISRO is being eulogized as a 'poster boy' among the scientific research institutions, just as cricket has been eulogized amongst sports in India. We still observe huge preference being given to the elite engineering institutes and medical colleges of the country whose maximum graduates perform mass exodus to developed western countries and certain sectors of research and development in the name of indigenisation.

From the only dedication and nationalism seen in the works of ISRO, just as we observe for the Indian army, to the importance given to the elite Indian Institutions whose graduates flock to serve the western countries; some intricate connections seem to exist between the choice of preference and the trend going on. Now the new twist is rather absurd, where capital, power and connections are being utilized to eulogize a so called 'institute' to the level of "Institute of Eminence", when the world fails to find an address of it.

Reliance sources are quoted saying that they have applied for the 'eminence' tag based on their 'performance proven in Reliance Industries'. It is well known that Jio has made an impact across the cyber world in India; however, will it be justified to use the same industry model to predict another impact in the academic world? Are merits based on 'acquired capital' of a certain type enough to make a sweeping prediction about the quality of a product, which is yet to be produced, in a completely different domain? Making complex meanings out of a phenomenon is a strenuous task, however, in the above cases we do not require hermeneutics to decode even a two dimensional meaning. Everything is plainly clear!