Denying space to SCs, STs, OBCs in the name of merit: Game behind "eminence" tag to Ambani institute

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

With Ambanis getting favour from the government, it is important for our academic fraternity to go into its details. The Government of India has opened several fronts against people, particularly the marginalized sections. Closing Universities Grants Commission (UGC) is one such step, but even before its closure, the UGC gave the 'Institute of Eminence' status to Ambani’s Jio institute, saying, here 'merit and merit alone will be the criterion'.
In India merit is brahmanical in nature, and in a certain way it seeks to deny space to SCs-STs-OBCs in institutions. The whole effort is to keep institutions to have their own 'autonomy', and outside the domain of UGC. They can negotiate with foreign institutions, and collaborate with them. The aim is to bring them to 'international' standard.
The fact is that the agenda is to target all institutions. When people were campaigning for equal education for all, we had a government, which wants to create this difference in the name of 'excellence' and 'merit'.
Indeed, one can understand why Prime Minister Narendra Modi still enjoys the support of the upper echelon of savarna jaatis; because through these 'institutions of eminence' it can keep the status quo ante, with the state abdicating its duties towards people. The aim is to undermine the education system as it exists, and bring in Dronacharyas into these institutions of 'merit'. What is unfortunate is, political parties feel, their duties end after sending tweets criticizing #bhakts of all varieties, responding as per their leaders.
The day we start responding as per issues and not as per our leaders, things would begin to change. The day we start going beyond individuals and seek wider consultations, listen to critics, things would be different. The day intellectuals, academics and those in public life speak without being 'bhakts', things would change.
This is the biggest war that the brahmanical system has now imposed on the bahujan masses. With the help of crony capitalists, they want to deny opportunities to India's indigenous people. They wouldn’t like to do things openly, or challenge the Constitution. They would like to do it in a surreptitious way, which means, they would kill institutions and universities, which are government-aided and provide huge opportunity to India's historically denied people.
All the political parties should swear in the name of social justice, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia, Periyar and others, that there is a direct assault on people's right to education. There is a need to highlight that earlier promises haven’t been fulfilled; and rather than making things better, what is now being created is a mess, so that people can’t make it to these institutions.
The move needs a strong political response. All members of Parliament of SC-ST-OBC-minority background must seek explanation from the government on this. Things are unlike to improve through court cases, as we know who is using courts. There is a need to resolve matters politically.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar wanted education for all. He wanted quality education. How many universities does this government offer a budget of Rs 1,000 crore, so that they become 'institutions of eminence'? Why should this kind of budget not be made available for our primary and secondary education with efficient teachers and better schooling facilities? Why can't the government improve the existing infrastructure in universities and colleges, and make them better and accountable, if it feels they are not functioning well?
Privatisation of education is a highly irresponsible act of the government. It is not that all these institutions will run on private money. Ambanis know it well, that is why they need a friendly government to support them establish infrastructure, and also give with grants. These institutions will have freedom to deny students admission in the name of merit. Only those would be able to go there who have a certain amount of budget in their pocket.
Seventy years after Independence, we are witnessing the re-emergence of Dronacharyas in institutions with the active help of the state to deny the bahujan masses quality education. The pressure on academic education of bahujan communities is indeed high. It is well known how a senior teacher at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar University in Lucknow, belonging to the Dalit community, was brutally beaten by brahmin students.
Chaos has been created everywhere in universities, with engaged in fighting this or that battle. Meanwhile, quickly, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) comes out with its 'idea' of creating 'institutions of eminence' as if it is a kind of Pakoda that you can buy any time anywhere, or get things done with money.
Will Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi, Askhilesh Yadav and other political leaders raise this issue in Parliament? We know that Ambanis give donations to all political parties. They need to be responsible to people. It is time for all parties to make their stand clear. They must fight this battle, as future generations will never forgive them for not speaking up for their rights.
---
*Source: The author’s Facebook timeline

Comments

Niranjan Dave said…

Reservation for SC, ST, OBC , fees and admissions are part of regulatory norms. If an institute is to be established free from regulatory framework, having state of the art facilities , scholarly faculty, research oriented offerings, meritorious students, research and quality of education comparable and competitive with best of the institutions abroad, huge investment and sustainable privatisation are inevitable.
Greenfield category is a misnomer. In fact it is a category by itself ( Expecting possible misunderstanding among critics and academicians MHRD should have elaborated this yesterday.) wherein there is nothing on ground but land, required funding, time-frame of development, well defined long term project and strong support of prominent Corporate house, and track record of supporting institutionalised primary and secondary education. JiO will get tag of IoE after three years and does not need Rs 1000 Crores from MHRD. Estimated cost of the project is Rs 9500 Crores.
It is the need of the day. Let us not miss the bus.

July 11, 2018

Uma said…

Apart from the money what is so great about this institution?

July 14, 2018

From Kerala to Bangladesh: Lynching highlights deep social faultlines

By A Representative The recent incidents of mob lynching—one in Bangladesh involving a Hindu citizen and another in Kerala where a man was killed after being mistaken for a “Bangladeshi”—have sparked outrage and calls for accountability.

Gram sabha as reformer: Mandla’s quiet challenge to the liquor economy

By Raj Kumar Sinha* This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

MG-NREGA: A global model still waiting to be fully implemented

By Bharat Dogra When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

Policy changes in rural employment scheme and the politics of nomenclature

By N.S. Venkataraman* The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

Rollback of right to work? VB–GRAM G Bill 'dilutes' statutory employment guarantee

By A Representative The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

Aravalli at the crossroads: Environment, democracy, and the crisis of justice

By Rajendra Singh* The functioning of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has undergone a troubling shift. Once mandated to safeguard forests and ecosystems, the Ministry now appears increasingly aligned with industrial interests. Its recent affidavit before the Supreme Court makes this drift unmistakably clear. An institution ostensibly created to protect the environment now seems to have strayed from that very purpose.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Making rigid distinctions between Indian and foreign 'historically untenable'

By A Representative Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

Search This Blog