Academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta has turned down appeals to withdraw his resignation from Ashoka University. “The underlying circumstances that ...
Academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta has turned down appeals to withdraw his resignation from Ashoka University. “The underlying circumstances that led to the resignation will not change for the foreseeable future, in my case, at any rate,” he wrote in a letter to students.
In another letter addressed to faculty members, he pointed to a “growing contradiction”. “We have to ask the uncomfortable question,” wrote Mehta. “What will it take to build liberal universities in a country marked by illiberal politics? Our colleagues in public universities have been facing this for a while. Now this growing contradiction is coming home.”
Meanwhile, the university released a joint statement by Chancellor Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor Malabika Sarkar and the Board of Directors who expressed regret at the resignations of political scientist Mehta and economist Arvind Subramanian.
They acknowledged that there had been lapses in the institutional processes which will be corrected after consultation with all stakeholders. “Pratap and Arvind would like to emphasize that Ashoka University is one of the most important projects in Indian higher education,” the statement said. “They are sad to be leaving Ashoka, especially its outstanding students and faculty. They continue to believe strongly that Ashoka University should embody a liberal vision and commitment to academic...
