The Era of the Silenced Academic Must End
Vinod Kottayil Kalidasan | 13 March 2024 | The Wire
Academic freedom has become a central issue of concern in India. Many have blamed the illiberal political climate in the country and the quality of individual institutions in question for the decline in academic freedom. While all of these are important factors, the question of academic freedom is complex and cannot be easily answered.
Not many have, nevertheless, noticed the V-Dem Academic Freedom Index (AFI) published in 2023 in which India is ranked in the bottom 20-30% category below countries such as Libya, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Chad, Bhutan, Ukraine, and Palestine. In the 2024 report published a few days ago, India is further pushed to the 10-20 % category placed between Rwanda and South Sudan.
The situation is so dire that even the reputed institutions do not fully comprehend, practice, and respect academic freedom as a fundamental right. Faculty members can get fired for reasons as silly as publishing a critical piece, supporting a cause, clothing in certain ways and even smoking! So, what explains this?….