Sorry state of Indian academics: why was I thrown out of Delhi varsity interview room?

By Dr. Abhay Kumar*
The interview for the post of political science (Guest) was scheduled on Saturday afternoon, September 10, 2022. Given my previous experience, I was not willing to appear for it. But friends persuaded me to go and fight for our rights.
I reached the college well before the time. When my turn came and I entered the room. The first question was asked about my experience. I said that I had taught for four semesters at NCWEB. I mentioned that I had taught ”Comparative politics”, “International Relations”, “Comparative Political Thoughts” and “Indian Government and Politics”. I said that as a teacher I had taught all the articles listed in the syllabus of the same Delhi University and the expert could ask anything about any reading or ideas.
Friends, the first question asked by a female member, perhaps she is the principal of the college if I am not wrong, to give the full form of NCWEB! The second question asked by a male expert, perhaps he is the political science department head, is to differentiate the money bill and finance bill.
These two questions were clear indications that the board does not deserve to take my interview. My work is on minority affairs and social justice, the expert did not have any time to look into it. Had they studied it carefully, they would not have asked me finance bill and money bill questions as I have never worked on that issue. Had they asked about the larger political economy question, it might have still made some sense.
Even I said that you could ask and discuss any reading from the above- mentioned four papers but they could not ask anything. Perhaps, they themselves have not read anything!
Soon, they called a person from the office and asked him to take me out.
Having experienced such a humiliation, I felt very sad. My sadness is not because I was thrown out of the interview room but because of the sorry state of Indian academics, particularly the political science department which is headed by intellectual bankruptcy.
Watch the video here

---
*Ph.D. (Modern History), Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Gujarat Sachivalaya blacklists, denies entry to woman social activist: Will NHRC probe?

By Kantilal Parmar* I have approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into a serious incident that took place at the Gujarat Secretariat in Gandhinagar on August 18, 2026. The matter concerns social activist and women’s rights leader Chandrikaben Solanki, who, according to the information available to me, was denied an entry pass to the Secretariat when she went there to meet Gujarat’s Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Dr. Manishaben Vakil, to raise an issue concerning social justice.

Ample evidence of child labour in South Gujarat's cash rich sugarcane belt: Study

By Rajiv Shah A recent German government-funded study , undertaken jointly by the NGO Prayas Centre for Labour Research and Action and the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, which mainly deals examines the working conditions of migrant workers in the cash-rich sugarcane zone of South Gujarat, has gone a long way to suggest large scale prevalence of child labour during the harvesting season.

Census 2026: Counting citizens or collecting their entire digital identity?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The new census format is out, and rather than accepting the demand for a caste census, the government has introduced a 40-question format for the upcoming census exercise. One wonders how long this exercise will take and whether the officials engaged in it will actually be able to complete it on time.

Counterview

Search This Blog