Barring students from studying Indian history or culture in foreign universities speaks of prickliness and prejudice

News: Under the new government guidelines, courses concerning Indian Culture, History, and Social Studies in foreign universities shall not be covered under National Overseas Scholarship (NOS).

What the new guidelines are not justified?

– It will shrink the student opportunities, and put a ceiling on their academic ambitions.

– Government should not decide on what students can or cannot study. The academic autonomy of scholars should be respected.

– Additional conditions will make it more difficult for people from marginalized communities to gain from scholarships. At present, only a tiny number of students from underprivileged communities manage to make that leap.

What is the government’s justification for the new guidelines?

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has given the argument that Indian culture can be better studied in Indian institutions and that foreign universities are better suited for more technical expertise.

The government view is wrong as some of the most interesting work on India has been carried out by foreign scholars like Paul Brass, Lloyd, Susane Rudolph, Stephen Cohen, Amartya Sen, etc.

Source: This post is based on the article “Barring students from studying Indian history or culture in foreign universities speaks of prickliness and prejudice” published in the Indian Express on 23rd February 2022.