CPM: Withdraw UGC advisory forthwith

new delhi: Raising a strong objection to UGC directive to "encourage" universities to hold lectures on themes such as the "ideal king" in Indian philosophy as well as 'Khap Panchayats', the Politburo of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has on Friday rejected the UGC chairperson M. Jagdish Kumar's letter to all Governors in this regard to celebrate India as the "mother of democracy" on Constitution Day which is celebrated on November 26.

In a statement, the CPM Politburo said, "The UGC chairperson's ridiculous claim is that ancient India was unique because there was no autocracy or aristocratism." "It is unbecoming of the UGC chairperson to make such an assertion which is a negation of the reality of Varnashram and the caste-based social hierarchy that is a major challenge in the evolution of our modern democracy," it said. Urging all democratic organisations and individuals to join in demanding the immediate stoppage of this exercise, the CPM politburo said, "The UGC chairperson negates the Constitutional requirement of democratic consultation with the elected state governments in the sphere of higher education."

"It has directly approached the unelected RSS-BJP appointed governors to pursue this agenda. This exposes the real objective of the National Education Policy of using education as an instrument for destroying scientific temper and rationality while undermining the foundations of our Constitution," the Politburo said, adding that this is in direct contravention of the framework of our Constitution as well as statutory provisions of the UGC Act as enacted by the Parliament. Notably, UGC has planned 90 lectures in 90 universities across the country.