The recent requirement for prior approval of papers to be presented outside the university is being read by many as a thinly veiled instrument of ideological control. https://thewire.in/education/why-dus-mandatory-seminar-approval-rule-is-seen-as-a-tool-of-ideological-control
According to a November 12 notification, DU faculty wishing to present papers at national or international seminars must now submit the full text of the paper two months prior to the event. Alongside, they are required to provide the conference brochure or programme schedule, an invitation letter, and post event, a detailed report of sessions attended and a certificate of presentation. Crucially, the new rules empower a DU-appointed committee not only to evaluate the academic merit of the paper, but also to vet the “credentials of the organising body”.
In the 2025 Academic Freedom Index (AFI), India was ranked 156th out of the 179 countries assessed in the report. The country’s score fell from 0.38 in 2022 to 0.16, putting it in the bottom 10-20% bracket. AFI, published by the V-Dem Institute, measures countries on the following factors – freedom to research and teach; freedom of academic exchange and dissemination; institutional autonomy; campus integrity; and freedom of academic and cultural expression.
05/12/2025