Academic Freedom in Universities: A Concern for Economy, Society, and Politics

• Deepak Nayyar, an economist, criticizes the erosion of academic freedom in universities, affecting teaching and learning processes and stifling creativity in research.

• Nayyar advocates for universities to decide what is taught to students and who is invited to address a student audience.

• He criticizes the current state of research in India, where curricula are regulated, readings are prescribed, and research funding is controlled by the central government.

• Nayyar notes that social media posts can lead to disciplinary action by universities or legal action by governments.

Autonomy and Accountability in Universities

• Universities play a crucial role in political democracy, providing ideas for science, technology, research, innovation, and economic policies.

• Governments should recognize that providing resources to universities does not grant them the right to exercise control.

• Public money for public universities should be accountable to students and society through institutional mechanisms.

• Rankings provide an institutional mechanism for accountability to students, parents, and society.

• Regulatory structures should provide complete autonomy to universities, free from the constraints of the University Grants Commission.

Governments’ Control of Universities

• Academic freedom in universities is restricted in democratically elected countries like India, Argentina, Hungary, Türkiye, and countries with one-party rule.

• The US has sacrosanct academic freedom for over a century, with President Trump slashing research grants and curbing leading public universities.

Freedom of Inquiry is important topic for Civil service exam (WBCS).

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