HRD’s new foreign policy spells curtains for academic freedom

‘‘Such activities should be taken up keeping the national and institutional interest in mind’’ which is to ‘‘safeguard the country’s political security and sensitivity angle,’’ is the fiat.

The guidelines, which have come into immediate effect, state:

• The universities can enter into MOUs with foreign university/institution with prior clearance from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which would grant approval in consultation with UGC.

In what could be seen as discouraging the central universities from freely and frequently iniviting foreign scholars as visiting lecturer/professor, one of the guidelines states:

• Foreign participation should not be generally considered for conferences of political, semi-political, communal or religious nature or those related to human rights or sensitive technical subjects.

• A central university proposing to invite a foreign scholar as a visiting professor/lecturer may do so after obtaining prior approval from the HRD ministry for which they have to provide details of the terms and conditions of visit, particulars and curriculum vitae and content of the lecture, etc.

• In case of seminar/conference/symposium/workshop, universities have to take security clearance from the ministry of home affairs and also seek prior approval of the minister of HRD.

• For ‘individual foreign scholars’ wanting to undertake research: He/she has to make an application in the prescribed proforma and get his/her research proposal approved by the Government.

The 1986 guidelines, HRD ministry officials say, ‘‘left out the details of the procedures to be followed which is why a set of new guidelines has been put into effect from January 31.’’

They argue that the Government encourages globalisation of higher education but ‘‘it also needs to know what’s going on in the universities which are run by tax-payers’ money’’.

One of organisers of the World Social Forum to be held in Delhi this year, Professor Kamal Mitar Chenoy, has already run into roadblocks.

‘‘We are facing huge problems in getting permission for participants, especially from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Probably, few will be allowed.’’

In fact, all our neighbouring countries are on the sensitive ‘Red Channel’ list. Only the MHA can give permission for short visits of scholars from these countries for seminar/conference. Joint research or any similar activity involving them are completely ruled out.

V S Mani, professor of international law at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said even the flow of grants from UN University, Tokyo, was getting hampered.

‘‘We respect the need for security clearance by the MEA and Home Ministry. But beyond this, it becomes a case of content monitoring (by the MHRD) which will go a long way in curtailing academic freedom in areas of international and scientific studies,’’ he said.