A University Grants Commission (UGC) panel today recommended that words like- ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ in the name of universities- Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University should be dropped for they do not reflect their secular character.
The panel was formed at the behest of the HRD ministry, to probe the alleged financial, administrative and academic irregularities in 10 central universities. The recommendations have been made in the audit report of AMU.
“Centrally funded universities are secular institutions but such words related to religion in their names do not reflect that character”, a panel member said on the condition of anonymity.
The universities can be simply called Aligarh University and Banaras University or be renamed after their founders, the panel member added. “The committee suggested that AMU could also be named after its founder, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan,” he said.
In an earlier report, the panel also stated that ‘inbreeding’ at Aligarh Muslim University was affecting the diversity in the campus. The report read that former students of the university were being appointed as professors- thereby severing the admission process.
Besides AMU and BHU, other universities that were audited by the panel include: Pondicherry University, Allahabad University, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand, Central University of Jharkhand, Central University of Rajasthan, Central University of Jammu, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha, University of Tripura and Hari Singh Gour University in Madhya Pradesh.
india today
