Ashoka University students want Prof. Mehta reinstated

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They plan to boycott classes to protest exit of academic, Arvind Subramanian.

The students of Ashoka University have demanded that Pratap Bhanu Mehta be offered his job back with a public acknowledgement of the pressures behind his resignation, as well as a divestment of the trustees’ powers to the university staff, students and faculty.

They plan to boycott classes on March 22 and 23 to protest the exits of Prof. Mehta and Arvind Subramanian.

“If these demands are not met by Tuesday, we will be organising a separate movement demanding that the Vice-Chancellor resign,” said the statement issued by the student union on March 20.

“Not only have we lost intellectual giants and erudite academics whose scholarship we value deeply, but also our trust and faith in this administration to protect the students within this University from external political pressures — specifically, the Vice-Chancellor (Professor Malabika Sarkar), Chancellor (Professor Rudrangshu Mukherjee), and Founders of this University. This is a gross violation of academic freedoms and we strongly condemn it,” they said.

They demanded an open meeting of the university’s founders with the student body. “We must create a body with both members of the faculty and student body to serve as a medium to discuss matters with the founders and the administration,” they added.

On March 19, at least four of the trustees met with the faculty to hear their concerns regarding recent developments.

According to one faculty member, the trustees insisted that there had been no government pressure behind Prof. Mehta’s resignation but admitted that “donors wanted it”. However, they insisted they had not asked him to resign.

Several senior faculty also pushed strongly for the founders to “stay out” of the university’s functioning in the future, added the source.

Solidarity letter

More than 170 senior academics from top universities around the world, including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale and Columbia, signed an open letter in solidarity with Prof. Mehta, expressing their distress at his resignation under political pressure.

“A prominent critic of the current Indian government and defender of academic freedom, he had become a target for his writings. It seems that Ashoka’s Trustees, who should have treated defending him as their institutional duty, instead all but forced his resignation,” said the letter, which was signed by distinguished scholars of political science, history, government, law and ethics.

They contended that the values Prof. Mehta practised included free argument, tolerance, a democratic spirit of equal citizenship, free inquiry, candour and a rigorous distinction between the demands of intellectual honesty and the pressure of politicians, funders, or ideological animus.

“These values come under assault whenever a scholar is punished for the content of public speech. When that speech is in defence of precisely these values, the assault is especially shameful,” said the letter.

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Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Subramanian quitting Ashoka University sad news: Kaushik Basu | India News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: Former Chief Economist of the World Bank Kaushik Basu on Thursday termed the quitting of Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Arvind Subramanian from Ashoka University as ‘sad news’ and said the best minds are combative minds and critical minds.
Two days after political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta resigned as a professor from the Ashoka University, his colleague, economist Arvind Subramanian also put in his papers on Thursday.
“Pratap Bhanu Mehta & Arvind Subramanian quitting Ashoka University is sad news. The best minds are combative minds, critical minds. If we can’t tolerate that, we damage creativity,” he said in a tweet.
Basu, currently a professor of economics at Cornell University further said the ultimate loser is the nation–its economy and growth.
“There are enough examples around the world,” he noted.

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My writing perceived to carry risks for Ashoka University: Pratap Bhanu Mehta in his resignation letter

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Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s resignation from Ashoka University this week came after a meeting with the founders in which, he said, it was made abundantly clear that his association with the institution “may be considered a political liability”.

Mehta, in his resignation letter submitted to V-C Malabika Sarkar, also said that his public writing is “perceived to carry risks for the university”.

On Tuesday, when The Indian Express had asked the university whether Mehta’s public stand had anything to do with him leaving, Ashoka had sidestepped the question.

Instead, a spokesperson had confirmed the resignation and said: “During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor and member of faculty, he has contributed immensely to the University. Ashoka University wishes him well for his future endeavours”.

Here’s the complete text of Mehta’s resignation letter:

Dear Prof Sarkar,

I write to tender my resignation from Ashoka University as University Professor. After a meeting with Founders it has become abundantly clear to me that my association with the University may be considered a political liability. My public writing in support of a politics that tries to honour constitutional values of freedom and equal respect for all citizens, is perceived to carry risks for the university. In the interests of the University I resign. I would request that the resignation take immediate effect. I am teaching one class, and would not like to leave the students stranded. But I think the university can find a solution. I can informally finish out the rest of the classes, if no other solution is found.

It has been a great privilege to get to know the students and several wonderful colleagues at Ashoka. I hope that the institution continues to thrive. I thank you and the Chancellor for your personal kindness over the years of my association with Ashoka.

It is clear it is time for me to leave Ashoka. A liberal university will need a liberal political and social context to flourish. I hope the university will play a role in securing that environment. Nietzsche once said that “no living for truth is possible in a university.” I hope that prophecy does not come true. But in light of the prevailing atmosphere, the Founders and the Administration will require renewed commitment to the values of Ashoka, and new courage to secure Ashoka’s freedom.

My only request is that the administration cooperate in making all the transition formalities as painless as possible. If any arrangements can take due consideration of my driver, Gajendra Sahu, I will be most grateful. He moved jobs with me and should not be penalised. If some interim help can be granted to him, while I make alternative arrangements to transfer him to an appropriate payroll, I shall be obliged.

I will forever remain a supporter of the values Ashoka is meant to embody. Please convey my deepest gratitude to all of Ashoka’s faculty, students and staff. They have all been unfailingly professional, supportive and generous.

I will have a hard copy with my signature sent to you as well. But this mail be treated as my resignation.

With warmest person

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Arvind Subramanian, Former Chief Economic Advisor, Resigns as Professor from Ashoka University

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New Delhi:Eminent economist Arvind Subramanian has resigned as professor from Ashoka University, two days after noted political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s exit from the institution. Subramanian, former chief economic advisor, had joined Ashoka University as a professor in the Department of Economics in July 2020.

“Dr. Subramanian has resigned,” a senior faculty member of Sonipat (Haryana) based Ashoka University said. A query sent to Ashoka University regarding the resignation remained unanswered till the filing of the story. Subramanian was appointed Chief Economic Advisor on October 16, 2014, for a period of three years and was given an extension in 2017.

However, he quit the job with close to one year of his tenure remaining and returned to the US. Subramanian’s official contract was till May 2019.

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