Amid the ongoing row across the country over the crackdown in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on Thursday directed all Central universities to fly the national flag on a 207-feet-high flagpole on their campuses to signify a “strong and united” India.
A conference of Vice-Chancellors and representatives of all the 46 universities chaired by HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday resolved to hoist the Tricolour "prominently and proudly" on the campuses.
Significantly, the first flag will be hoisted at JNU, which is currently at the centre of a major controversy in the wake of the sedition charge against Kanhaiya Kumar, JNU Students’ Union president, following an event on the campus where anti-India slogans were raised. Protests over the police action have taken place in many universities, including Delhi University and West Bengal’s Jadavpur University.
“At a central place in every university, the national flag will be flown prominently and proudly,” said the resolution. Though the Government is facing strident Opposition criticism over the issue, the move reflects its resolve to adopt an aggressive posture on the issue of fostering nationalism among the youth.
The move has, however, drawn sharp reaction from the Congress which said nationalism doesn’t mean hoisting the flag and singing Vande Mataram. “Nationalism is about showing your belief in the Constitution, it is about showing respect to the institutions which have made the country a democratic set-up,” Congress leader and former MoS (Home) RPN Singh said. CPM leader Brinda Karat too slammed the Government for the decision.
The proposal for putting up the national flag in universities and hoisting the first flag at JNU was put forward by Irani and unanimously endorsed by all 46 Vice-Chancellors. Irani had called the meeting following widespread protests over the suicide of a Dalit scholar of Hyderabad University Rohith Vemula and the JNU imbroglio.
The conference also discussed several important aspects related to higher education, including the implementation of 2012 UGC regulations by varsities for promoting equity and addressing grievances of Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe students. It was also decided to start one-week course on leadership and management at two select IIMs for V-Cs, Pro-VCs and Registrars.
Besides to enable students to take correct personal and professional decisions, universities will implement a professional system of comprehensive guidance and counseling by experts.