Tricolor To Fly Atop All Universities

In a move to instill more patriotism among civilians, the BJP-led government decided on Thursday to fly the Tricolor atop a 207-feet mast in all central universities across the country.

The call was decided in a meeting called by Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Smriti Irani on Thursday. The first such flag will be unfurled at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which is on the boil over the arrest of a top student leader for alleged anti-India demonstrations and sloganeering. The meeting was called in the wake of the suicide of a Dalit student Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad last month on 17^th January, which had triggered nationwide outcry over alleged social discrimination on campus. Barely a few weeks after Vemula’s death, JNU was plunged into a crisis after police arrested the university’s students’ union leader Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition, drawing protests by a section of students and opposition parties. Kumar was arrested over an event at the university during which anti-India slogans were allegedly shouted.

Rohith was a research scholar at the Hyderabad University. Acting VC of Hyderabad University, M. Periasamy said: “It (flying the tricolor) was the outcome of an informal resolution stemming from a concern for the reasons for which the JNU campus was in the news.” “Most of us present felt the flag was a good way of instilling the spirit of nationalism. Hyderabad University already has a flag flying on its administrative building,” he further added.

Ahead of the meet, the HRD ministry had asked all the universities to submit a status report on the implementation of 2012 University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, including creating equal opportunity cells and appointing anti-discrimination officers.

Universities were also asked if they have taken any other steps for promotion of equity and strengthening of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) students’ grievance redressal system or any other measures.